Scientists stunned after rare species makes historic return to former habitat: 'It's hard to describe the feeling'
After making a historic comeback to the wild last year, the Guam kingfisher seems to be adjusting well to its new habitat.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, scientists discovered nests with eggs on Palmyra Atoll, the kingfishers' home for the time being. Martin Kastner, a biologist who worked on the reintroduction project, told Public Radio Guam why this was so monumental.
"These birds were raised in captivity until last year," he said of the kingfishers, which had been extinct in the wild since 1988. "Now they're foraging, nesting and even laying eggs on their own. It's an incredible step forward."
This is a step forward not only for the kingfishers but also for the entire planet — humans included. Every species plays a key role in maintaining biodiversity. Without a variety of life, ecosystems can get thrown out of balance, depleting natural resources such as fresh water, lumber, and medicines that humans rely on.
The Guam kingfishers' return is a definite cause for celebration.
Kastner shared in an ecstatic Instagram post that three mated pairs are currently incubating eggs, with a fourth showing signs that an egg might be on the way. In the fall, nine more kingfishers will be released onto Palmyra Atoll, with the long-term goal of reintroduction to their native habitat of Guam.
Such a goal is not completely unprecedented.
A South African family rewilded 67,000 acres of farmland, reintroducing big cats to the area for the first time in decades. In Saudi Arabia, the Persian onager was reintroduced to the wild after a century of absence from the country.
With conservationists' continued dedication, there's hope for the Guam kingfisher yet.
As Kastner wrote on Instagram about the newly discovered eggs, "It's hard to describe the feeling at that moment, when decades of expectation and effort by zookeepers, biologists, administrators, and most importantly the people of Guam, coalesce in an instant of joy and hope."
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