Japan succeeds in artificial incubation of endangered bird

June 18, 2017

  TOYAMA- A Toyama zoo has succeeded in artificial incubation of two Japanese rock ptarmigan babies, the first feat for the endangered bird in 19 years in Japan, the Environment Ministry said Sunday. Japan thus made major progress toward the establishment of artificial breeding methods for the bird, whose scientific name is Lagopus muta japonica, that will cover the full breeding cycle from egg laying, incubation to growth, officials said. Toyama Family Park Zoo in the central Japan city of Toyama, commissioned to breed the bird, gave birth to the two babies late Saturday morning in special incubation equipment in which the temperature is kept at 37.6 degrees Celsius. They are both 6.5 centimeters long, with their estimated weights put at 15.6 grams and 17.1 grams. They seem to be in good health, but close attention is necessary because rock ptarmigan babies are particularly vulnerable to illness in their first two weeks, the officials said. "Artificial breeding is considered a success only after babies grow," said Yuji Ishihara, head of the zoo. "We have a lot of things we still don't know, so we have even more difficult tasks ahead." The Toyama zoo breeds seven Japanese rock ptarmigans, including a female bird, that were raised from eggs collected in Mount Norikura in Nagano Prefecture, also in central Japan. The first mating was observed on May 13 and eggs were discovered later that month. The ministry started the artificial breeding project for the Japanese rock ptarmigan, designated as a special national treasure in the country, in 2015. (Jiji Press)