Film in fight to save rare bird
The battle to save the western ground parrot from extinction - one of WA's most endangered creatures with only 140 left - is heading to the small screen.
Conservationists, who have been working for years to try to save the bird from its seemingly unavoidable fate, launched a campaign this week to raise money to make a documentary about its plight.
Once widespread in WA coastal areas from north of Perth to east of Esperance, the western ground parrot population has shrunk dramatically and it can now be found only in Cape Arid National Park east of Esperance.
Its penchant for spending most of its life on the ground, where it also lays eggs and nests, has led to the parrot falling victim to feral predators and wildfires.
The Friends of the Western Ground Parrot group approached WA filmmaker Jennene Riggs to make the documentary, which will cost about $250,000 to produce for television.
Ms Riggs applied to the Documentary Australia Foundation for backing and the project was approved as suitable for philanthropic donations this week.
There has been a radical decline in western ground parrot numbers over the past few years.
Supporters hope the documentary will raise awareness of the species' perilous situation nationwide and globally.
"We're hoping to discover another population somewhere or to see the parrots at the zoo give birth," Ms Riggs said.
"That would be a really exciting addition to the story."
Seven birds were taken into captivity five years ago but they failed to breed in the south coast aviary where they were kept.
They have since been taken to Perth Zoo so experts there can try to get them to produce chicks.
Donations to the fundraising can be made at www.documentaryaustralia.com.au/films/816/secrets -at-sunrise and www.pozible.com/project/187311
