Shock as world’s rarest parrot declared EXTINCT is hatched at zoo in major breakthrough– www.thesun.co.uk

A RARE blue parrot declared extinct in the wild has hatched for the first time at a conservation centre, sparking new hope for the species.

The Spix’s macaw chick was born at the Centre for the Conservation of Endangered Bird Species in Pairi Daiza, a zoo in Cambron-Casteau, Belgium, on September 21.

It is the first chick of its species to hatch at the park after 100 previous eggs failed to be fertilised, marking a major breakthrough in an international breeding programme to save the world’s rarest parrot.

The zoo said: “Egg 101 is a true miracle of life, the result of years of effort and patience,” and described it as “a birth more precious than gold.”

Specialists decided to remove the egg from its inexperienced parents before it hatched to increase the chick’s chances of survival.

Its caretaker Thomas Biagi said having to feed the chick every two hours was exhausting but motivating because “we’re literally holding the future of one of the world’s most endangered species in our hands.”