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Filling the Gap Left By DeBooy’s Rail

10,000 Birds

Back in 2009, Tai Haku sent us a fascinating post exploring a question that ecologists worldwide grapple with: can the translocation of rare species into niches left empty by extinction be successful or justified? Guam Rail Gallirallus owstoni. Photo copyright The Smithsonian’s National Zoo, taken from the Guam Rail page. .

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African Penguins in Peril

10,000 Birds

Today, there are more than 3,000 birds at this accessible colony and they are protected by fences and stiff fines for human disturbance. On the mainland they face predation from domestic cats, dogs, genets, mongoose and Cape Gulls which steal their chicks and eggs. In 2009 the population was recorded as 20,699 pairs.

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