Critically Endangered Sisters Hatch at Zoo Knoxville

Posted by Andrew Bleiman on

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Zoo Knoxville has successfully hatched two female Bali Mynahs as part of a collaborative effort of accredited zoos to save them from extinction.

The two females hatched to parents Zane and Kadek, both of whom arrived at Zoo Knoxville as a recommended pairing from the Species Survival Plan. Theirs are the first clutch of Bali Mynah eggs to hatch at the zoo since 1995, and this is the first time Zane and Kadek have successfully produced offspring.

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4_22181651_10159310045400648_8715219188370794436_oPhoto Credits: Zoo Knoxville

Zoo Knoxville is actively working with the Bali Mynah Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative, nationwide effort by zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to save this species from extinction. Currently, approximately 1,000 Bali mynahs are part of the breeding population worldwide.

“We are focusing on species that need our help to make a difference for the future of those populations,” said Michael Ogle, Zoo Knoxville’s Curator of Ornithology and Herpetology. “Every chick counts when you have a population as vulnerable as the Bali Mynah, and the two hatched here in Knoxville are part of a bigger safety net that accredited zoos are working to maintain.”

The Bali Mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi), also known as Rothschild's Mynah, Bali Starling, or Bali Myna, or Jalak Bali, is a medium-sized (up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long) bird native to the island of Bali in Indonesia.

These birds are classified as “Critically Endangered” by the IUCN Red List. They have been driven to near-extinction due to unsustainable and illegal trapping to meet the demand for the pet trade. Fewer than 100 Bali Mynahs remain in their native range.

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