some accounts, there are less than 15 left in the wild. Luckily, though, institutions like the N.C. Zoo are maintaining and breeding these mynahs in captivity. Like so many other endangered bird species, the mynah population in the wild is being dramatically impacted by habitat destruction due to timber harvest, illegal bird trade, poaching and nestsite competition from other bird species. Conservation officials in their native Bali have even resorted to using armed guards to protect nesting areas. Because of their natural camouflaging, many of the birds in the Aviary are not easily seen at first, so to fully appreciate the exhibit, visitors will usually need to sit for a while and listen and look, not just quickly walk through. But just as it is in a rain forest, if visitors give the birds time, they will come out. Unfortunately, the safety of the plants and animals inside the Aviary’s miniature rain forest is a far cry from the uncertainty of today’s indigenous rain forests worldwide, where cattle ranching, settlement, logging, large mining operations and hydro electric dams daily threaten their existence. Rain forests are the source of some of
our most widely used products and the wintering ground for many of our favorite migratory birds. Yet tropical rain forests are being decimated, and species are being lost before we are even able to discover them. Like the canary in the coal mine, birds are excellent natural indicators of the health of many of our ecosystems. When birds disappear from an area, it normally signals the deteriorating health of the entire ecosystem. In addition, birds eat insects, providing a natural way to control pests in gardens, on farms, and around our homes. Like bees, they aid in the pollenization of plants by sucking nectar from the flowers and then moving on to the next.
> ZOO ZEAL
volume 1 | issue 10 | asheboromagazine.com | 41