The Disappearing Act Of The Pochard
Despite regular reports of many animals going extinct, we are still sometimes surprised when organisms pop up out of the blue and the Madagascan pochard is no exception.
These ducks are endemic to Madagascar and would have been found in shallow lakes and marshes characterised by dense vegetation. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most pochard sightings were from one lake, known as Lake Alaotra. Unfortunately, after significant human intervention, the marshes surrounding this location were cleared for rice cultivation and cattle grazing. Moreover, the practice of intense fishing began, coupled with the introduction of new fish species, such as the common carp. In the late 1940s, the wildlife of Lake Alaotra, including pochards, started to decline dramatically. The newly introduced fish killed pochard chicks and damaged nesting sites, and with the addition of grazing and rice cultivation, these ducks seemed to have disappeared. In 1992, a fisherman managed to catch the last known male Madagascan pochard, but the duck died, resulting in the species being declared extinct, with the empty lakes serving as a poignant reminder.
Nevertheless, in 2006, a small pochard population was rediscovered and conservationists rushed three clutches of eggs to the UK to initiate a captive breeding programme. These 24 eggs were incubated and hatched, and for over a year the original chicks were kept safe in a turtle rearing compound. But after receiving funds from the Darwin Initiative, a facility was built to allow the ducks to breed. After 11 years, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust managed to increase the population to 90 individuals with the ducks rearing their own offspring successfully. As a consequence, these organisations began preparations to reintroduce the birds back into Madagascar. Reintroduction is used in conservation to help species become re-established within their native home and these charities were able to do just that. In December 2018, they found a suitable habitat for the ducks, known as Lake Sofia, and installed floating aviaries to serve as protection for the birds.
This example of reintroduction of the world’s rarest duck shows that there is hope for endangered species and that they can bounce back if given appropriate support!
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Sources:
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Research Journal - Lewis, A.R. (2019) Exploring real and hypothetical impacts of community-based conservation interventions, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales.