Endangered birds released onto Goliad ranch

An endangered Texas bird breathed new life on Thursday thanks to a zoo, private ranch land and a program that links the two. Conservationists released 10 4-month-old Attwater's prairie chickens on a ranch that spans portions of Refugio and Goliad counties. The chickens, bred in captivity at an Abilene zoo, were fixed with radio collars, delivered in wooden boxes and dusted for parasites. The birds will live for two weeks in pens and on diets designed to prepare them for life in the wild. The Attwater's prairie chicken numbered a million a century ago. Today, fewer than 130 roam the wild and all do so in Texas. "In Texas, the vast majority of land is privately owned," said Roger Welder, owner of Vidauri Ranch, location of the bird release. "We've learned to work with these groups for the benefit of us all. Our objectives are really aligned."...VictoriaAdvocate