Rare Species Conservatory Foundation

A Lifeboat for Animals in Loxahatchee

Story by Frances Goodman

What does a protected, 30-acre patch of South Florida scrub in Loxahatchee Groves have in common with Africa, Brazil and Peru?

Meet the African Bongo antelope, the Brazilian red-browed Amazon, and the world’s smallest monkey, the Pygmy Marmoset from Peru!

Each is on the list of endangered or threatened species and each is the subject of a captive breeding and management program underway at the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Loxahatchee Groves.

The secluded RSCF compound might be compared to a genetic lifeboat – a private, non-profit, donation-supported lifeboat.

Dr. Paul Reillo, zoologist and field-oriented population biologist, is its founder, president and director. He is assisted by the RSCF curator, Karen McGovern, and a dedicated caregiver and maintenance staff.

Reillo, who founded the RSCF in 1992, is a passionate conservationist and preserver of rare species.

"I strongly believe that wildlife and biodiversity conservation are the most important and progressive endeavors for humans to engage in this era," he says. "I think it’s clear that preservation of wildlife and wild areas is paramount to protecting the health of this planet overall."

In addition to the rare species breeding and management program here, Rare Species presently conducts field programs in Tanzania, Kenya, Mexico, St. Vincent, Dominica, the Bahamas and Brazil.

The Bongos

African Mountain Bongos are beautiful antelopes native to the slopes of the Mt. Kenya and Aberdares National Parks. The males can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Fourteen of these endangered animals presently live and breed at the Loxahatchee Groves compound.

RSCF has already accomplished a first by repatriating 18 of the species to a protected preserve on Mt. Kenya four years ago.

"That repatriated population in Kenya now stands at 53," Reillo reports happily. The Bongos’ decline in the wild is blamed on habitat loss, poachers and lion predation.

"They’re the largest of the forest antelopes, but they are territorial. The males in particular will confront their attackers, instead of running," he said. "This has made them especially vulnerable."

"The Mountain Bongo program is actually a United Nations project that RSCF coordinated," Reillo said. "Mt. Kenya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most important biodiversity areas on earth."

Playing Mother

Paul Reillo may have a PhD and a string of other credentials, but he is not above getting on hands and knees on the floor with a stubborn, adolescent parrot in an effort to persuade the rare chick to be still and eat its breakfast.

Reillo uses a special syringe and his own personal recipe for hand-feeding the endangered red-browed Amazon chicks born in RSCF incubators.

"The red-browed Amazon parrot is the most endangered Amazon species in South America and is a protected bird species in Brazil," Reillo explains. "This was a species predicted to be extinct 20 years ago."

"We have the entire North American population and the only breeding program in North America."

Mothers of newborn babies should easily relate to life at the compound when a new clutch of red-brows is hatched. The un-feathered babies must be fed every hour around the clock for at least the first two days.

There is very little sleep to be had by Reillo, who acts as foster parent. The ravenous chicks grow relatively fast, gaining 15 to 20 percent of body weight each day. Hourly feedings continue for about two days and then are reduced to every 90 minutes for another two days.

Food consists of a soupy mix that is Reillo’s own hand-feeding recipe for baby Amazons. He uses a microwave to warm it and then tests the temperature on his upper lip before expertly depositing it into the chick’s open mouth with a special syringe.

"By about the fourth day, we go to a two-hour feeding schedule for about a week. Then it gradually lengthens till the chicks are mostly feathered."

Soon they can graduate to fruits and seeds that would normally make up the diet for juvenile and adult red-brows.

RSCF has recently entered a partnership with the Brazilian government for a captive breeding and incubation program, combined with habitat protection for wild populations.

"The Mata Atlantica is a fringe area along the coast of Brazil that is the most imperiled and biologically diverse rainforest in Brazil. The red-brow Amazon is a famous symbol for that region, which extends two-thirds the length of Brazil.

"But 97 percent of it has been destroyed. Less than three percent of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest remains, leaving only tiny patches of habitat here and there."

Pygmy Marmosets

A minor social experiment is going on at RSCF with "Mico," the Pygmy Marmoset, who is all of about five inches tall.

Pygmy Marmosets are native to Peru and are the world’s smallest true monkey. Their typical lifespan is 8 to 12 years, but in the best of conditions they can live up to 20 years.

They are a threatened species, and RSCF presently has the largest breeding colony in the U. S.

Mico’s mother died in childbirth, which is a high-risk time for females of the species. Of necessity, Mico was raised by hand and became imprinted with humans—but only temporarily.

This is the kind of attachment wildlife caregivers prefer to avoid. "Hand-rearing is something we don’t do unless we absolutely have to, because it creates many socialization challenges, particularly with Pygmies," Reillo said.

"Pygmies have their own special scent and vocalizations that are important for establishing dominance; they have a language for identifying predators and food, and they tend to have a strong monogamous bond for one another.

"The entire family works together cooperatively to raise the next generation. It’s a very complicated and dynamic system.

"Once hormones come into play, hand-reared pygmies often develop aggressive or neurotic behaviors, if they are not transitioned into a natural, social setting.

"That’s why primates do not make good pets. They become very frustrated when they can’t express their natural behavior, and then someone gets bitten."

Mico is now one year old, and has been housed with a female his same age who was parent-raised by her Pygmy family at the compound.

Both McGovern and Dr. Reillo are hoping Mico will bond with his new "girlfriend" when she comes into her first heat.

"We’re hoping he’ll switch," said McGovern.

Reillo said zoos around the country are calling on RSCF to resurrect the pygmy population, "but we are not in this to stock zoos with novel species."

"Our mission is conservation, not exhibition."

Program Outreach

The rare species breeding and management program in Loxahatchee Groves is only part of the RSCF outreach. Reillo estimates it represents about 15 percent of the overall picture.

"The vast majority of our work is in the field," Reillo said. "The species here in Loxahatchee are here because they are so critically endangered, they need so much work, that this is their best hedge against extinction."

Reillo said the contributors who support the RSCF are people who want to make a difference and who want to see RSCF make a difference.

"We have it within our grasp to prevent the extinction of many species."

To learn more about the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, visit their web site, www.rarespecies.org. Frances Goodman is a Royal Palm Beach writer/photographer with a special interest in wildlife. She is also a professional obedience trainer and author of the Around Wellington Magazine monthly "Pet Talk" column.