Conservation

 

Restored ecosystems are habitats for an increasing number of wild species
Handraising rescued cockatoos for later release into the wild

Education and research efforts, as well the management of wild animal and plant species outside of their habitats have ultimately the goal to help protect them in their natural ecosystems.

The majority of cockatoos rescued and confiscated can be successfully rehabilitated and can join their wild relatives in their natural habitats. In 2020 we recorded for the first time that a bird was breeding successfully in the wild, four years after it was rescued from the nest, hand-raised and released back into the forest!

The facility also maintains conservation breeding groups of freshwater turtles, with the endemic Palawan Forest Turtle of particular importance. The species is highly threatened and the establishment of a population outside of its habitat in controlled conditions, serves as a “safety net”, in case of unforeseen catastrophic impacts on the wild population. Similar breeding programs will be established in the future for other globally threatened species, like Calamian Deer or Palawan Porcupine.The restored ecosystems of Katala Institute themselves increasingly serve as habitats for a wide array of wildlife. More than 60 wild bird species have been recorded in the facility, among them rare migrant waterbirds. Even cockatoos can occasionally be observed on their foraging trips from Rasa. The wetlands are home to more than twenty species of dragonflies. Numbers of recorded species keep rising, as the quality of restored ecosystems increases.

The only captive breeding population of the Palawan Forest Turtle is managed by KFI