the worlds first!!! » Parc Paradisio

25-07-2008

the second chick hatched today!
this one had some more difficulty and was exhausted.

it will be reared and monitored separately for a few days. if it's strong enough, they will be kept together, this diminishes the risk of imprinting.
(paradisio uses this technique on birds of prey too and apparently they breed normally afterwards)

as an extra bonus, the female shoebill is really busy on the nest, so chances are that another egg(s) will be laid...

25-07-2008

Its like the old British saying "you wait ages for one bus and two come along at the same time".
The news coming out of Belgium at the moment is getting better and better

25-07-2008

More great news

26-07-2008

Hopefully someone is busy making a Shoebill-like dummy to feed the chicks...

Does anyone know where and when this rearing technique was first adopted? I saw it being used by the Dept of Conservation with handraised Takahe chicks in New Zealand circa 1990.

26-07-2008

I think, they used this technique earlier at the San Diego WAP to feed the californian condor chicks.

26-07-2008

we were in the park yesterday, when they were caring for the chicks

this is a pic we took of the 2nd chick, only 1 hour old

26-07-2008

Cool pics!

It is much older, sort of common knowledge in bird keeping.

Also, chicks raised in a group usualy imprint normally.

26-07-2008

Yes you are quite right the SD WAP did use this for the Condors years ago

26-07-2008

also for whooping cranes in the USA

26-07-2008

With Whooping crane chicks did the keepers/feeders dress in white with masks & red caps to look like adult birds? I've sure I've seen this done somewhere for at least one species-it always makes me laugh despite it being a rational thing to do if you want to avoid imprinted chicks.

26-07-2008

Forumbully, phantastic pictures. It's envaible you've sent he chicks in that age....What they feed them ?
I have a few days vacation time in october, so maybe I do a short trip to belgium, maybe I can see the young shoebills at this time, how far away is the park from antwerp, and can I reach it by train ? It's a good reason to visit antwerp and Plankendael again, I was there just one time in 1997.

26-07-2008

Paradisio is a little over an hour drive from antwerp.
I live north from antwerp and it takes me about an hour and half.

if you want to take the train, the park is about 1 km from the railway station of Cambron Casteau. so that is not much of a problem. you'll probably have to switch trains 1 or 2 times, but that's all.

not a bad idea to combine it with antwerp and planckendael.
both have had some nice new projects recently. the aquarium, the australian waterrats in the nocturnal house, remodelling the rocks in antwerp and of course the new savannah in Planckendael.

26-07-2008

The news is now on their website
PREMIERE MONDIALE - Parc Paradisio - Laissez-vous toucher par la nature!

27-07-2008

A little movie:

Première mondiale : deux bébés bec-en-sabot (in French)

29-07-2008

the 2 chicks last sunday


and mum and dad with ...