Blijdorp takes in 79 endangered bird eggs
The bird keepers at Diergaarde Blijdorp were in for a shock on 16 June when the NVWA called them. During a baggage check at Schiphol, customs had found as many as 79 eggs in a piece of hand luggage. Of these, 51 were from endangered puffins. Three people involved were arrested and the eggs were rushed to the Rotterdam zoo under police escort, in the hope of saving the animals. On 16 September the perpetrators were sentenced to a fine of €7,500 each.
During a routine check at Schiphol airport, even the most experienced customs officials had to rub their eyes when a passenger's hand luggage produced a strange X-ray image. A wheeled suitcase revealed numerous egg-shaped outlines. On closer inspection, among them were 51 puffin eggs and 28 duck eggs. Like the passenger, the eggs came from Iceland. In a suitcase in the hold, there was an incubator which had kept the eggs warm right up until departure.
Criminal investigations into such finds are carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). NVWA inspectors confiscated both the eggs and the incubator. Once the smugglers had been apprehended, it was crucial to act fast. Every minute the eggs spent outside a nest or incubator reduced the chicks’ chances of survival. As the only Dutch zoo with puffins in its collection, Diergaarde Blijdorp was the obvious choice for the NVWA. Also because the zoo has a large number of incubators, which are, for example, used for vulture eggs.
With years of experience in keeping puffins and incubating rare bird species, Blijdorp proved to be the perfect destination for the eggs. As the chicks’ chances of survival were uncertain, it was decided not to draw attention to the incubation process. Customs also preferred to keep the location of the eggs secret. The illegal trade in puffins, for example, is as lucrative as it is prohibited. An adult bird can fetch several thousand euros. Behind the scenes all available incubators at Blijdorp were secretly prepared for the deluge of eggs. They were certainly needed, as it turned out when the clutch arrived. As many as five machines were running at full capacity. After only a week, the first chick broke through its shell.
The birth of the first, second, and third chicks was a cause for celebration for everyone involved in the rescue operation. Despite the stress of the theft, the journey, and the confiscation, many eggs were still viable. Once the first puffins saw the light of day, more quickly followed.
More chicks arrived every day and were treated to fresh fish by their carers at Blijdorp—normally a job for their parents.
After about three days out of the egg, the chicks moved to a ‘flat’ behind the scenes at the Oceanium. The large shelving units were soon a lively cacophony of chattering fluffy balls. The colony grew by the day, until eventually 42 puffins were clamouring for attention and fish. After several weeks of extra work, only five eggs turned out not to have survived the journey.
Every puffin cared for by Diergaarde Blijdorp has been ringed, vaccinated, and fitted with a chip. Once big enough and free from down, the birds could slowly head outside. This resulted in a bustling Bass Rock. Until they are ready to move, the rock at Diergaarde Blijdorp will be their home.
The rescue operation by Customs, the NVWA, and Diergaarde Blijdorp may have been a success, but it beggars belief that people still steal eggs from a species that is struggling in the wild. Not least because puffins lay only a single egg each year. By incubating the eggs, many animals have been saved, but at the same time 158 animals in the wild have been robbed of their chance to rear their own young. Unfortunately, the smuggled birds can no longer be released into the wild. As they have been fed by humans, they would struggle to survive on their own.
The silver lining is that these birds now form part of an international breeding programme, with zoos worldwide working to establish a reserve population of this critically endangered species. With the arrival of 42 puffins in the population management programme, the total rises to 119. These fresh genes are a valuable contribution—the only real positive to come from this smuggling incident.
Unfortunately, things turned out less well for the previously mentioned long-tailed ducks and tufted ducks. The eggs from these species suffered too much during the smuggling. As a result, only five of these birds survived. For now, these birds will remain in Blijdorp, and, like the puffins, they will later be distributed among zoos in Europe.
Many parties were involved in—or more accurately, collaborated on—this rescue operation. Every effort was made to give the animals a chance. Diergaarde Blijdorp is not usually a holding centre for this bird species, but by acting quickly with government authorities, the eggs were allowed to come to Rotterdam. Once the first animals had hatched, the decision was made to transfer the birds, and they were handed over by the state. With the zoo assuming responsibility, the puffins can now go abroad across Europe to help ensure the species doesn’t go extinct.
