The Bangabandhu Safari Park in Gazipur has surprised many by hatching four chicks from the eggs of the ostrich, a bird of vast sandy deserts, in an incubator. More eggs are still in the incubator, and the park authorities hope several more chicks will hatch from them.

Ostrich chicks had hatched naturally at the park twice before. Although the ostriches lay regularly every year, the authorities had been frustrated that the eggs were not hatching. Park officials believe the new approach of using an incubator will end that frustration. The four chicks hatched over three days, from 5 to 7 January.

According to the park authorities, six ostriches were imported from South Africa in two consignments in 2013 for the safari park. They were kept in an enclosure next to the emu enclosure in the south-west of the park. In January 2017 one chick hatched naturally, and two more hatched the following year.

Although the birds laid plenty of eggs every year, they were not hatching, which left the authorities dissatisfied. This time they tried hatching ostrich eggs in an incubator.

Peafowl chicks had been hatched in an incubator before, and now the park has succeeded with ostrich eggs as well.

Junior wildlife scout Samir Sur Chowdhury, who looks after the chicks, said the room temperature is measured regularly. The chicks are being fed water spinach, chopped cabbage and starter feed.

The park's officer-in-charge, Assistant Conservator of Forests Md Tabibur Rahman, said: "The park's ostriches breed all the time and lay enough eggs on time. But the eggs did not hatch, so nearly all of them went to waste. That left us dissatisfied. Still, chicks have hatched naturally twice in this same enclosure."

He added that he hoped the method would now produce ostrich chicks regularly. "This success is the fruit of all our efforts, and it has given us great hope," he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.