Macaw that inspired the animation ‘Rio’ is at risk of extinction

We all remember Blu, the adorable little blue macaw from the animated film Rio, which amused and thrilled adults and children alike. What not everyone knows is that this very Brazilian species of bird that inspired this character is at risk of extinction.

At the awesome.club let’s talk about this alarming situation.

This species of macaw, native to the São Francisco River region, in the Northeast, is known as the Blue Macaw (or Spix’s Macaw) and is classified by the NGO BirdLife International as ‘probably extinct in the wild’. A huge effort is being made to conserve this species in specialized breeding centers.

One of the most important projects for the defense of macaws is the Instituto Arara Azul, based in Campo Grande (MS), which has become a reference on the subject, but whose focus is the much larger hyacinth macaws that live in the Pantanal and are also threatened. .

In the case of hyacinth macaws, the method chosen was breeding in captivity, in order to ensure that, later on, these birds are able to live in freedom.

The chicks pictured above were born at the Association for the Conservation of Endangered Parrots and Macaws (ACTP), located in Germany. This non-profit organization plans to release the first Spix’s Macaws into their natural habitat in Brazil in 2019.

What do you think? What method would you use to prevent the extinction of these (and other) animals? Tell us in the comments.

And, if you want to help with the Arara Azul project, the site offers a series of exclusive products, such as t-shirts, mugs and key chains. Whoever buys is helping the project.