Four ducklings add to safety-net population of African species that is estimated to be down to 5,000 in the wild
Chester zoo has successfully hatched one of Africa’s rarest species of duck for the first time.
It said the successful breeding of four maccoa ducklings formed part of growing efforts to safeguard Africa’s most threatened species.
The maccoa population in the wild is estimated to be 5,000, and recent surveys found only 14 in Kenya and fewer than 100 in Tanzania.
The ducklings are in Chester zoo’s Heart of Africa zone, a 22.5-acre habitat supporting endangered African species. The habitat is home to 57 species of animals including giraffes, zebras and ostriches.
