Rare dove in journey from zoo to Mexico
IT may not have managed to flap its wings yet, but Edinburgh Zoo's newest chick has a long journey ahead of it - to Mexico.

The rare Socorro dove chick is just a few weeks old and was born as part of the zoo's successful bird breeding programme.


The Socorro dove has been extinct in the wild for 35 years, having last been sighted on the Socorro Islands off the west coast of Mexico in 1972. But the breed will soon be reintroduced to its native habitat.
How the Socorro chick will look when it is fully grown

Gavin Harrison, senior bird keeper at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "There are just over 100 birds in captivity across Europe and we have got one of the biggest populations of Socorro doves. They will be flown out to Socorro and kept in aviaries that have been specially built."

How does a species come back from 100? Won't it end up like the Cheetah? I'm glad they're trying.

Why did it go extinct in the home land? Hunting?

The Domesticated Cat was introduced on the Socorro Island during the 1970's and these cats killed almost all doves.
Some of the remaining population were captured and breed in zoo's and now the bird is being re-introduced to his/her native island.
& just a foot note
The domesticated cat is directly responsable for many bird species becoming extinct.

I'm a real cat lover - so it is with a heavy heart that i read this - i know they are a terror in NZ.

How are they hoping to get them back into nature with that problem? Cats are very clever.

Folks can't comprehend that the Cat is a pet, and pets are to be kept within the home at all times...Soooo new laws that effect us all are imposed.
Example, in some cities in Australia cat owners ship has become so hard most people can't efford to own one.
In order to own a cat one must have a kennel "completely enclosed", so there cat can enjoy the outdoors without harming wildlife.
The folks that allowed there cats to roam freely caused this new law and all laws that govern cat ownership, hey...things got so bad...well.... now everyone suffers.
Now down there, they have a Dog problem....again it will be those that say to hell with the laws and allow there dogs to roam freely that will ruin it for everyone.
The same will happen here in the USA...and I can say...it won't happen soon enough....
I also enjoy our cat, an indoor cat, never allowed to roam outside...
There is one good thing about all of this, animal shelters (killing machines) will have less cats to kill as laws become stricter upon the cat owner...YEA.....
Folks that allow there cats to roam freely have no respect for there neighbors property and or wildlife and or there Cat...its like saying go ahead and leave, hope ya don't get hit by a car, hope ya don't get into a fight with another cat and loose an eye, oh and by the way...stay away from the neighbords cat...he has fleas....
New laws are coming to those that can't seem to get it (keep your cat in the house).
Anyways, the laws on the Socorro Island that pretain to cat owners has made it possible to re-introduce the Dove.
I believe I read somewhere recently all the Feral cat population on the island where destroyed, seems there were several other wild animals getting close to be erased from exsitence also...so finally something was done...

Islands in the seas of northwestern Mexico have the largest number of insular endemic species in North America. The islands have the greatest number of extinct mammalian taxa in Mexico, and many of the remaining taxa are rare, threatened, or endangered. Thus the Mexican government's plan to build 24 modern ports—the “Escalera Nautica” project—will place enormous pressure on island species, which are exceptionally vulnerable to human activities, including the introduction of alien species. The intensified port activities would most likely lead to an ecological disaster. Several mammal species inhabiting the islands are already close to the limit of their capacity to survive. For many endangered species, a small change in habitat can be the final push into extinction. In this article, we make some recommendations to try to prevent the extinction of species at risk.

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The above statement basically says these Islands are home to the most extinctions, Not a very safe place if you are a bird or small animal, even the Lizards are now threatened, I did however read somewhere what they done to stop this by destroying the feral cat and making owners of sheep contain there animals, Am looking for that article...

In our neck of the woods - including the bigger cities - we have wild life getting used to our ways.

The one animal that is doing really well in the N. America of today is the Coyote. I don't even think we had them around when i was young. But around the farm for example they have decimated the cat population. I've seen them crossing the roads around here - follow the parks. City people are always dropping off their cats at the edge of the farm. Right now for example we have a Big white male cat who wanders everywhere at the farm. Last time i visited i caught sight of him pelting down the lane - even the Border Collie couldn't catch up with him. It's a real surprise that he's avoided the Coyotes.

We are experiencing hybrid Coyotes as well. Not just dog but i think wolf combinations[?]. This means they are now hunting in packs unlike the natural coyote who hunts alone or with its mate. We've lost some calves & our beloved Blue was shot by a neighbour who thought he was a Coyote - but as Blue was on our property i think our neighbour was overstepping his boundary - too bad Blue looked so feral [he was a Blue Heeler - quite the hunter - he was to help ward off the Coyotes! - as my Dad doesn't hunt].

Yea I had heard the Cayote was making a come back.
All mankind issues and the animals do the suffering....
So much for being the most intelegent beast on the planet....