The breeding center is located in Saluki, Gumbasa subdistrict, Sigi district, around 50 km south of Palu city, the capital of Central Sulawesi Province, Ahmat Yani, the national parks head of the conservation unit, stated here on Wednesday.
The Lore Lindu Park is the habitat of maleo, which is on the brink of extinction due to poaching.
Thanks to the captive breeding program, the maleo population has increased significantly of late, he stated.
Soon after hatching, fully feathered Maleo chicks were released into their natural habitat.
Maleo is endemic to Sulawesi and Buton Islands, Indonesia. The total population is estimated to be around four thousand to seven thousand breeding pairs, equivalent to eight thousand to 14 thousand mature individuals or 12 thousand to 21 thousand individuals totally, according to BirdLife International.
The Maleo is a large, black and white bird with a prominent medium-length tail. It weighs around three kilograms and is up to 25 cm long.
The Maleo egg is large, about five times as large as the domestic chicken egg. Each bird can yield about eight to 12 eggs a year, and the nesting season is particularly between May and October.
Poaching of eggs, coupled with habitat loss, is pushing the Maleo toward extinction. ***3***
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(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/F001) 19-02-2014 12:02:27
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