WATCH the trailer here
KMTV launches documentary series
with Kent research on Mauritian Parakeets
The Mauritian Echo Parakeet is a bright green emblem that represents the equally green forests and ecosystem on the island of Mauritius.
However, in the 1980s they were close to the same fate as the infamous Dodo.
When researchers trekked through the forests of Mauritius, they could only find a handful of the birds. They were once known as the rarest parrot in the world.
The species declined due to a lack of food sources, extensive habitat destruction caused by human activity, alien plant species and natural disasters. With only around 20 left, there began the mission to save the Mauritian Echo Parakeet from extinction.
For decades conservationists helped to repopulate the species, and though seemingly successful, another threat of extinction hit in 2005.
Years of breeding within a small population led to the genetic diversity of the bird species growing smaller, and therefore the birds formed genetic mutations. This resulted in a higher risk of disease.
The closer the biological relationship between parents, the greater the probability that their offspring will inherit identical copies of one or more mutant genes.
Professor Jim Groombridge from the University of Kent has been studying the genetics of the Mauritian Echo Parakeet since 1991. He monitored the recovering parakeet population and the impact of the outbreak and ongoing infection of Beak and Feather Virus.
To this day, he assists the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation field team in monitoring and managing the infectious disease.
He said: "Our research at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) on the Echo Parakeets in Mauritius has been a long journey involving close collaboration with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the Government of Mauritius' National Parks and Conservation Service, which together has formed a partnership that has been crucial for the successful recovery of the species.
‘Together, we have made lots of discoveries along the way, including detecting multiple outbreaks of the virus and how the parakeet population has overcome them.
‘Much of our research has contributed to help the field teams manage the bird populations so they can minimise the effects of the virus and still allow the population to continue to grow. We look forward to many more successes like this in the future."
Using innovative genetic technology Professor Groombridge and Professor Cock Van Ousterhaut, a Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at University of East Anglia, are hoping to help other species throughout the world.
“You could say that the species has cheated death twice, just like Sisyphus in Greek mythology, who managed to escape twice from Hades, the underworld.
‘The conservation and recovery program of the echo parakeet is a story of hope against the odds. It is a real motivation for conservation scientists and people who care about biodiversity knowing how dire things may look, there is still hope to turn it around.
‘Also, we are also making great progress on the conservation genomics of the echo parakeet, studying how this species managed to make its double-recovery. Insights gained by studying the genome of the echo we hope to employ to help the recovery programs of other threatened species.”
But the hopes are that the film will help in the efforts to share the story of the Mauritian Echo Parakeet.
Dr Claire Raisin, Regional Field Programme Manager at Chester Zoo, has been uncovering more about the species genetics since she was a PhD student during the outbreak of the deadly Beak and Feather Virus.
She said: “The conservation news sphere is generally a gloomy place to be, the biodiversity crisis looms large in many people’s minds and eco-anxiety is on the rise. It’s vital that we share these success stories, not just for the benefit of other species conservation projects, but for our own mental health.”
Aurelie and Sean, Field Workers at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
By working together, conservationists, the Mauritian government and researchers are continuing to improve the ecosystem on Mauritius.
Vikash Tatayah, Conservation Director at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation said: “The Echo Parakeet, the last surviving parrot of the Mascarenes, is a beacon of hope for the rescue of parrots worldwide.
‘From a low of less than ten individuals in the 1970s, teetering on the edge of extinction, after four decades of intense work, we can enjoy the sight of nearly 800 of these birds in the wild.”
The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation are also looking to introduce the Mauritian Echo Parakeet to their neighbouring island Reunion, whose parakeet species went extinct as far back as the 18th century.
The hope will be to rebuild their ecosystem, which is suffering as a result of the hole their parakeet species left in biodiversity on the island.
This has all been made possible with the help of researchers in Kent, and now around 800 neon green birds can be found chirping loud and proud across the island of Mauritius with their distinctive orange and yellow beaks.