Famed life awaits the marabou stork hatchling
Staff at the facility have begun hand raising one of the Marabou stork hatchlings in the hopes of adding the already famous bird to the park's educational shows.
HISTORY is in the making at the Umgeni River Bird Park following the anticipated arrival of the marabou stork hatchlings, fathered by the famous Clyde and his new partner, Jemima. Staff at the facility are proud to announce that one of the hatchlings will now be hand-raised as the park’s newest show bird is set to follow in the footsteps of its famous father.
The first-time parents were matched up in April last year after Clyde was moved into retirement, and although Jemima laid three eggs a few months after the duo had been paired, they were found to be infertile.
The first of their offspring hatched on Tuesday, 25 August and the second made an appearance on the Wednesday. Sadly, the second marabou hatchling died last week.
Staff decided to hand-raise the 28-day-old chick since its aunt, Samara (Clyde’s younger sibling), who was also hand-raised as a show bird, will be moved into retirement later this year.
The chick, not yet named as staff are awaiting DNA testing to confirm the sex, will be incorporated into the park’s educational shows. He or she will be taught to fly, walk around the stage and interact with the crowds.
“Everybody has been absolutely loving the chicks at the park, especially the marabou storks. Since we shared a photo of the chick recently, we have received an influx of comments and questions,” said Grant Aggett-Cox, the park’s education manager.
In addition to the stork, staff have also opted to hand-raise two barn owls and guira cuckoos, as renovations at the facility forced the shifting of the cages. These birds will also be considered for show birds or photographic birds, depending on their temperament.
Clyde, who was bred in a Johannesburg zoo in 2000, was hand-raised by Aggett-Cox. The famed bird had been one of the park’s show birds for approximately 12 years. In 2012, he retired to one of the permanent enclosures and staff began their search for a mate. Two years later he was matched with Jemima and the pair instantly connected.
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