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The Biodôme will have to add a tree to its tropical forest to accommodate a resident with a somewhat difficult character. This should calm the atmosphere disturbed by the aggressive behavior of one of the female macaws towards its peers.
Following work carried out from 2018 to 2020, the Biodôme introduced a group of five macaws, four females and one male, into the tropical forest ecosystem. Three of the females are red (Ara macao) and come from a breeding site in Ontario. The other two, a male and a female, are blue (Ara ararauna) and come from another establishment. The five winged residents range in age from 4 to 33 years old and, like the other animals at the Biodôme, they do not have names.
Macaws love colony life, and Macao and Ararauna macaws coexist well. Except that community life has its limits, as animal keepers who observe these birds on a regular basis using cameras have observed. “During these observations, we noticed that the blue female did not really have any interactions with other macaws, or that if there were, they were not necessarily positive,” explains Nicolas Gruyer, director of the Biodôme.
The addition of a tree in the rainforest should allow this shady female to keep her distance while maintaining visual contact with the other members of the troop. “Macaws live in groups and need a social bond. This female needs this social bond, but not too close,” underlines Mr. Gruyer.
This should also facilitate interactions with Biodôme staff, believes Nicolas Gruyer. Because like the other animals at the Biodôme, the macaws are trained to respond to a few instructions, for example, to enter a transport cage without grumbling for a visit to the veterinarian.
The Biodôme does not expect the parrots to breed, at least not in the near future. The only possible option would be for the blue couple to start a family, because the authorities don’t want hybrids. But so far, the couple in question appears to have no interest in reproduction.
In any case, the Biodôme prefers to put its efforts into the reproduction of endangered species listed in the SSP (Species Survival Plan) such as the Canada lynx, the golden lion tamarin or the penguins.
Macaws are intelligent, and there’s a reason they’re loved as pets. “But I, personally, would not recommend it, since it is an animal that generally lives in groups and needs a lot of space. Also, they eat up a lot. It’s in their behavior. »