You may republish Mongabay content in your publication at no cost, Chinese demand and domestic instability are wiping out Senegal’s last forests, Solomon Islands environmental defender faces life sentence for arson charge, Threatened species caught in crossfire of ongoing land conflict in Myanmar, ‘Tamper with nature, and everyone suffers’: Q&A with ecologist Enric Sala, New paper highlights spread of organized crime from global fisheries, Study: Chinese ‘dark fleets’ illegally defying sanctions by fishing in North Korean waters, Game changer? For several years, intensive efforts have been undertaken to search for suitable areas in the Caatinga region. Every day, Mongabay reporters bring you news from nature’s frontline. In May 2019, two Spix’s macaw chicks were hatched at Fazenda Cachoeira in Minas Gerais, a breeding center certified by the government. Author: Linda Crampton. Select from premium Spix's Macaw of the highest quality. It was signed on June 7, 2019,” he said. Many partners were removed along the way due to politics and the interruption of the program, and I am positive that many of them are involved in the accusations,” he said. The day that we will see the Spix’s Macaw flying free in the Caatinga once again is fast approaching! Dieses Stockfoto: 24. Februar 2020, Brandenburg, Schöneiche: A Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) sitzt in einer Voliere der Artenschutzorganisation Association for the Conservation of Threed Papageien (ACTP). The ACTP possesses one of the largest private collections of threatened parrot species on the planet. Construction of the purpose built Spix’s Macaw Release, Breeding and Research Centre (RBRC) on land within the Spix’s historical habitat in the Caatinga is now well underway, with completion estimated mid-2019. What scientific groups have been invited to consult with this project? The ACTP was founded in Germany in 2006 as a nongovernmental organization and is officially recognized as a zoo, according to information from the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, or BfN. The latter is partnered with a zoo of the same name in Brugelette, Belgium, where four Spix’s macaws are on display — the only ones in Europe available for public viewing. Those same concerns were echoed by a Brazilian biologist who was directly involved in the federal government program but chose to leave because they felt that all the decisions being made favored sending more Spix’s macaws to Guth. “No irregularities were observed. Guth bought the first Spix’s macaws for his collection from a Swiss breeder for 15,000 euros (about $16,000). When he died in 2014, the billionaire bird-lover owned at least 120 Spix’s macaws, which were subsequently “loaned,” along with the rest of his collection, to Guth. I'd like to help cover the transaction fees of 0 for my donation. Upon completion we will commence the transfer of birds from Germany to the RBRC in preparation for the first release of Spix’s into the wild, which is planned to take place in 2021. The only other organization mentioned, listed as an “exclusive partner,” is the Belgian company Deli Nature, which sells animal feed. An international petition with 55,000 signatures on the website Care2 called for the BfN to conduct an investigation into Guth and the allegations surrounding the ACTP. Because no Brazilian breeder was disposed to invest the money to save this species … Would you prefer that we simply allow the species to go extinct?”, Reillo refuted the idea that critics didn’t want the species to return, but added: “We need answers.”. Mongabay is a reader-supported conservation and environmental science news service. Together with the Brazilian Government, ACTP actively engages in the breeding and conservation of this beautiful bird and we are working towards its reintroduction back into the wild. The spix macaw has been extinct in the wild since 2000. ACTP is an official partner of the Brazilian Spix's Macaw Breeding Program led by ICMBio, working jointly towards the goal of reintroducing the species back into the wild by 2021. It obtained two critically endangered imperial amazons (Amazona imperialis) and 10 red-necked amazons (Amazona arausiaca) from the island of Dominica in 2018. The Spix's Macaw Re-Introduction Project is tasked with reintroducing the "extinct in the wild" Spix's Macaw, the rarest parrot in the world. The current population is now very close to being large enough and strong enough to allow for a successful and sustainable reintroduction. Three birds were observed - perhaps the last three of their kind - near Curaça in the north of Bahia state, Brazil. Their offspring were probably captured in the 1980's and offered for sale in the US and Europe at high prices. It is the only reintroduction of a Birdlife International Red Listed bird considered extinct in the wild. Since 2015, Guth has imported more than 200 native birds of various threatened species from Australia for the state purpose of public exhibition, with authorization from the Australian government and Germany’s BfN. In 2018, Australian MP Warren Entsch warned about the exportation, raising concerns that the ACTP was “not a legitimate zoo” and instead operating more like a private collection. These seven organisations are, ACTP Germany, Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in Qatar, the Brazilian breeding centre run by Fasenda Cachoeira, Parrots International, Wildlife Parks Singapore and the Pairi Daiza Foundation. Bringing the birds to Brazil is part of the National Plan of Action for the Conservation of the Spix’s Macaw, coordinated by the Chico Mendes Institute of Conservation and Biodiversity (ICMBio), which is affiliated with the Ministry of the Environment. This source said they knew of one breeder who had come close to successfully reproducing chicks, but was then forced to send the birds to Europe. The ACTP also acquired birds from the Caribbean island nations of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent. Everyone wants a piece of the Spix’s macaw program now that we, the partners in the project, have managed to make it this far with such success. In an emailed response to questions from Mongabay, Guth said “The names of all of our big donors and supporters can be found on each of our Facebook posts. In both cases, the exchanges took place in compliance with the recommendations of handling consultants. Paul Reillo was one of the few people interviewed for this article who agreed to be named. The long-term goal of the Brazilian Government, ACTP and our other partners in the Spix's Macaw Program, is the reintroduction of the species back into the wild by the year 2021. “A translated version of this document was immediately provided to the governments of Brazil and Australia after the publication of the article in The Guardian.