Paradise Park helping to restore Blue-throated Macaws in Bolivia

2025

An international group of partners is working together to secure the wild population of this Critically Endangered Bolivian parrot.

In February 2025, five Blue-throated Macaws bred at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary made the trip to the breeding centre in Bolivia.

Blue-throated Macaws have been driven to near-extinction in their native Bolivia by trapping for international trade. Currently, the main threat is their low population of 300-400 individuals and the associated lower breeding success, which has profound effects on population stability and growth. The World Parrot Trust (WPT) and its partners are tackling the issue head-on with its programme to boost Blue-throated Macaw numbers.

Vet Paul Hall and Head of Parrots Louise Caddy give the macaws a final health check.

The Bolivian government’s Blue-throated Macaw Action Plan is led by its Biodiversity, Climate Change, Forest Management and Development Program. As part of this, a repatriation initiative is underway bringing macaws kept and bred in bird collections in the UK, Canada and USA to Bolivia.

Curator David Woolcock and Keepers load the macaws starting their journey from Cornwall to South America.

With support from the WPT and in-country partner Fundación CLB, the birds from Paradise Park are now at the Bolivian breeding centre and have been joined by more from African Lion Safari in Canada and Natural Encounters Conservation Fund in the USA.

The six macaws in Bolivia on their way to the breeding centre.

Below, the Blue-throated Macaws feeding in the quarantine facilities after arrival.

Read more on the World Parrot Trust website HERE

Previous News
2013 – Cornish bred macaws travel to Bolivia 2013