On January 29, 2015 staff from the Service’s Southwest Region successfully transferred 70 endangered masked bobwhite quail to Africam Safari in Puebla, Mexico.
Since arrival in Mexico, initial reports indicate the birds are doing well. The quail are being closely monitored for another week before being released to outdoor cages.
The quail are currently residing in indoor cages covered with a light cloth to keep the quail calm as they adjust to the new surroundings. All 70 quail are reported to be in good condition. The quail are active and eating and drinking normally.
Africam is a private zoological park and the first in Latin America to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The quail were transferred from the captive breeding facility at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arizona with the intent of starting a captive breeding program in Mexico.
This transfer was made through a conservation partnership agreement between the Service’s Southwest Region and the Africam Safari. This partnership is an important step in conservation of this highly endangered species, which is thought to be extinct in the wild.
The transfer of the 70 masked bobwhite quail enables the Service to address two recovery plan goals: maintenance of two separate captive populations; and creation and preservation of two wild populations in Mexico.
