We hope you all had a nice break over Easter and enjoyed lots of lovely Easter eggs.  There’s a very interesting article in the May issue of Parrots magazine (issue 196) about the first birth of a Kakapo chick for 3 years - and that involved a rather delicate egg!  The story takes place in New Zealand, where Department of Conservation (DOC) officials are part of a DOC Kakapo Recovery Programme.  It’s a fascinating read. Click here to order a copy now.

Have you heard of an organisation called CITES? It stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (of Wild Fauna and Flora).  It also relates to our captive-bred Parrots at various levels and other animals considered to be in danger of extinction in the wild. CITES came into being in 1973 to prevent the over-exploitation of certain wildlife species whose numbers could be adversely affected by international trade.

There are now over 160 Countries worldwide who are signatory partners to the Convention, each having a management authority relating to the issuing of licences and permits which for the UK is Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In the USA the authority is US Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS).

Find out more about it at www.parrotmag.com/parrot-care/cites