Jersey Zoo's bird "king" gets his "queen"

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Jersey Zoo is hoping to hear "the pitter-patter of little crane feet" soon as the conservation trust's male crane has recently been joined by a new female friend.

The grey crowned crane is an endangered bird that also graces the flag of Uganda.

Durrell has been home to over 50 of the birds across the past six decade.

After losing the previous crane couple to old age, the Zoo's bird team said they had "been keen to establish a new breeding pair for some time".

Durrell's male grey crowned crane is named Mfalme, which means "King" in Swahili.

At the end of 2023, he was joined by a female bird called Malkia which means "Queen".

Mfalme, who is now 20 years old, has been in Jersey since 2013 when he was brought to the island to breed with the Zoo's previous female crane.

Mfalme's new female friend Malkia is seven years old.

Together, the pair will play "an important role in educating and inspiring people on the plight of their wild counterparts", according to the bird team.

In the wild, these cranes are threatened by the loss of their grassland and wetland habitats – which are affected by a host of issues including cultivation, drainage, overgrazing, pesticides, dam construction, and water extraction.

These habitats are also encroached on by urban areas and affected by mining, and the birds risk being shot or poisoned for foraging in cultivated land.

The birds team added: "They're also threatened by hunting and egg collection, as well as live trapping for the illegal captive trade – both domestic and Middle/Far East exotic pet trade."

However, staff at Jersey Zoo hope that visitors will enjoy seeing the new "King" and "Queen".

"Take a moment to watch their courtship dance, listen for their unison calling and spare a thought for the pressures so many crane species are facing in the wild.

"Hopefully, in the near future, we’ll be able to listen for the pitter-patter of little crane feet."