Khao Kheow Open Zoo on Monday announced a breakthrough in wildlife conservation after successfully hatching a Greater Adjutant -- a species believed to have disappeared from the wild in Thailand more than 40 years ago.
The chick, named "Tuam", is now 38 days old after being hatched through an artificial incubation and hand-rearing programme at the zoo in Chon Buri. Its sex has yet to be determined.
The hatch marks the first successful captive breeding of the endangered stork by the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand and is believed to be the first among zoos affiliated with the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Southeast Asian Zoos and Aquariums Association.
Zoo director Narongwit Chotchoy said the chick hatched from an egg laid by Thailand's only captive breeding pair of Greater Adjutants. Because the species lays only one or two eggs a year and has a low hatch rate, staff intervened after observing inconsistent incubation by the parent birds.
The egg, discovered on March 8, was transferred to an incubator to improve its chances of survival. Due to equipment limitations, staff manually turned the egg for 34 days before the chick hatched on April 10.
Mr Narongwit described the operation as a "life-saving effort" that ultimately ensured the chick's survival.
The achievement makes Khao Kheow Open Zoo the fourth institution worldwide to successfully breed Greater Adjutants in captivity, after the Bang Phra Waterbird Breeding Station, Assam State Zoo and the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin hailed the success as a major milestone in Thailand's wildlife conservation efforts and praised the work of zoo officials, veterinarians and animal care staff.