The Houston Zoo is helping an endangered bird on a remote Caribbean island after a volcano erupted earlier this year. The La Soufrière volcano on St. Vincent started erupting April 9, blanketing the island in ash and soot. Eruptions continued to plague the island nation for some time, forcing thousands out of their homes, according to Town & Country's Leena Kim. The threat from the volcano further endangered one of the island's native birds, the St. Vincent Parrot, which has a population of as little as 500, according to the zoo. The eruption came on the heels of the bird's mating season, with countless young chicks expected to have been hatched right as the eruptions began. Back in the 1970s, zoo staff successfully bred the St. Vincent Parrot in captivity to help boost its population and has been active in helping the species ever since. So naturally, when the volcano erupted months ago, zoo staff reached out to the St. Vincent Forestry Department to give support in any way they could. Workers on the island had already placed special feeders around the island to help the birds but fear great numbers might be lost. The zoo offered guidance on best practices for protecting the birds and virtual seminars for forestry personnel.
They've spotted a few chicks already and hope to find more, according to the zoo.