Translocation of blue and gold macaw Ara ararauna into its historical range on Trinidad

New World parrots are declining throughout their range. Blue and Gold Macaw Ara ararauna was extirpated from the island of Trinidad in the late 1960s through anthropogenic processes. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is a ssisting the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division, Trinidad on a missi on to restore the species into its historical range within the Bush-Bush Sa nctuary in the Nariva Swamp. The Sanctuary has been protected by the govern ment of Trinidad and is the home of the endangered Red-bellied Macaw Ara ma nilata and West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus. Zoo and Wildlife personn el participated in three separate releases, beginning in December 1999 thro ugh to March 2000. The initial release consisted of an identical sex group of macaws followed by two additional releases of pairs/groups of birds. Of 18 Blue and Gold Macaws, 14 were released into the Nariva Swamp and are cur rently being monitored by the Wildlife Section, Zoo personnel and surroundi ng community. Translocation of wild populations of parrots has proven to be a viable solution to restocking wild populations that have been regionally extirpated.