Earth is delicate. Yes, Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with, as demonstrated by some of her vicious weather systems, yet, she is still fragile. Mother nature and all of the animals in her kingdom require balance. And, when a species is on the verge of extinction or becomes extinct, it’s a sure sign that there are many factors out of balance, like with the case of the northern bald ibis. This migratory bird was once plentiful across the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Central Europe but due to
overhunting, loss of foraging territory and widespread use of pesticides, the population of this kind of bird drastically declined.
About 400 years ago, the northern bald ibis was deemed extinct until recently, when humans intervened so the bird could be saved. It’s safe to say that the specific kind of ibis is doing much better now than in the past because one just randomly ended up in a veterinarian’s clinic, in Italy – without an ailment!
Thanks to a conservation project spearheaded by the Waldrappteam in Austria, the unusual-looking bird has been returning to places in Europe. While there are still a small number of these birds in existence, their re-introduction into the wild has so far been a success. The babies are born and raised in two zoos in Austria where the hatchlings are supervised in a controlled setting. Once they’ve hatched, they learn how to fly, but it’s not the older birds who are teaching them! A human mother in a paraglider flies alongside to help them reach new heights and soar.
This particular ibis, named Lancelot, wasn’t sick or in need of care. He was found on the side of the road by concerned passers-by who thought he could be ill. Vets at the clinic knew exactly about the bird they were dealing with and knew he was healthy. They contacted the conservation project and shipped Lancelot back home.
In the video, we get to go up close and personal to this rare breed. He’s actually pretty cute when you see him a little closer. The little guy has long legs with webbed feet and an extended narrow bill that curves down. His plumage is black with green and purple, but his face and head are bald, making for one cool-looking, strange bird!
Click below to see this funny bird. He’s really pretty in an unusual way!
