The Guam Rail – No, It’s not a train

Alright, back to the progression of enhancing the availability of endangered animals! This time, we’re featuring the Guam Rail – a cute little bird, unable to fly, and extinct in the wild since the 1970s and 80s. Out of the 11 species of this bird that are native to Guam, 9 are extinct on their native island and is now only seen in few US zoos. Although attempts have been made to reintroduce the bird into the wild, those darn cats continue to prey on these innocent little birds…as well as the contribution of accidental deaths. Unfortunately, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in its infinite efficiency and competence (but what do you expect from a government service?), listed them when they were already extinct on Guam. Unfortunately, before cats became a problem, snakes were devouring the Rails, and after reintroduction, the snakes continued to prey on them, making chances of survival incredibly dim. Luckily, new technology has allowed a perimeter to be set up around the Rails that does not allow snakes in, which has increased the amount of birds surviving in the wild. However, it is thanks to the efforts of Zoologist Bob Beck that we have the few Rails we have today!