The Mountain Chicken project is currently planning and preparing for the next stage of the conservation of the critically endangered Mountain Chicken.
Mr Lloyd Martin, local Mountain Chicken Project Coordinator, has confirmed that the Department of Environment is moving ahead with the implementation of the revised Mountain Chicken Action Plan.
The activities include:
1. Continued monitoring of the released and remaining wild mountain chickens; as well as tree frog surveys, which are used to identify and monitor the chytrid fungus on the island.
2. Processing of data to inform future planning decisions.
According to Director of Environment Gerard Gray, planning is being advanced for the proposed establishment of semi-wild enclosures for mountain chickens. The aim is to increase the chances of Mountain Chickens surviving in the wild by reducing the presence of chytrid.
Mr Martin notes that there is no current cure for chytrid and it is unlikely that one would be developed in the near future. However, he is confident that the Department of Environment, along with project partners in Dominica and the UK, will find ways to manage the disease and positively impact efforts to save amphibians globally.
