The San Diego Zoo has new residents. Two Dalmatian pelican chicks were brought in from the Safari Park and will be cared for by zoo staff until they are well enough to rejoin their flock.
Aged two and 11 days old, the chicks were taken to the San Diego Zoo Avian Propagation Center after it was determined that their parents will be unable to raise them after the eggs were hatched.
For now, the Dalmatian pelican chicks will be hand-raised by animal care staff from the Avian Propagation Center for about 50 to 60 days. Once they are strong enough, the chicks will be sent back to the Safari Park to join other Dalmatian pelicans.
Dalmatian pelicans are the largest in size out of all the pelican species but are also among the rarest, so they are included in the first breeding program in North America, an effort to reduce the species' vulnerability. The breeding program began in 2006 and since then 34 chicks have made the San Diego Zoo Safari Park their home. Owing to the success of the program, some Dalmatian pelicans have been sent to the Phoenix Zoo where another breeding colony is being set up.
Dalmatian pelican chicks look bare when they hatch but they should get all of their downy feathers when they reach three to four weeks. At about six to seven months, they will be ready to fledge. At that time, the chicks will have grown into birds measuring five to six feet long, with wingspans between nine and 11 feet.
Dalmatian pelicans used to be found throughout Asia and Europe in rivers and freshwater wetlands but have gone extinct in a number of regions they are native to. Much of the loss has to do with damage to the bird's habitats, interfering with the breeding and raising of young Dalmatian pelicans. In other instances, the birds have had to compete for fish against businesses encroaching natural feeding grounds. At other times, Dalmatian pelicans have been hunted for food, while their bills are prized by herders and used for combing horses.
At the Safari Park, guests may observe Dalmatian pelicans in the middle of the big pond located in the South African exhibit via the African Tram Safari.
San Diego Zoo Global aims to bring both animal and plant species back from extinction through wildlife conservation efforts, with the zoo, the Safari Park and the Institute for Conservation Research cooperating with international field programs across six continents to achieve this goal.
