Extremely rare 'dinosaur' bird brought to UK to save species | SWNS

 

An extremely rare 'dinosaur' bird - the only one of its kind in the UK - is patiently waiting for a lifelong mate to help save her entire species. Abou the female shoebill that has recently arrived at Exmoor Zoo as part of an international breeding programme to save her species. The unique looking bird is just one of eleven shoebills in the world currently in captivity - and now the only one in the UK. They are monogamous and normally only rear one youngster, so combined with threats arising from climate change, they are a species "massively under threat". Abou, who is 14-years-old was born and bred inside Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium. The lovesick bird has been greeting her keepers with displays of bowing and spreading her wings - a common courtship ritual. She's been move to the UK to wait while the breeding programme produces a male bird, so the pair can be matched and produce much-needed offspring. Derek Gibson, curator at Exmoor Zoo, says the team are "delighted" to welcome their newest member of the family.