A deadly virus is affecting a population of Spix’s macaws in the interior of Bahia, as part of a reintroduction project led by the German NGO ACTP and the Brazilian company Blue Sky, whose agreement with the Brazilian government was terminated in 2024.
News of the circovirus outbreak was released by the Ministry of the Environment on Monday (28) and confirmed by ACTP on Wednesday (30). So far, 14 birds have been infected, including a chick that was living in the wild.
ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation) has suspended the reintroduction program and prohibited new releases, ordering measures to stop the virus from spreading.
In a statement, ICMBio said it had ordered the “capture of Spix’s macaws from the wild to undergo a battery of tests.” Blue Sky, however, told the UOL news portal it would not carry out the capture due to lack of authorization or adequate facilities, arguing that such an operation could stress or kill the birds.
Biologists and veterinarians interviewed by Folha unanimously stated that capturing the birds is an essential and mandatory measure in cases of disease, and that Blue Sky’s claims make no sense.
