Wildlife Messengers

The Indonesian Parrot Project (IPP) has been conducting important conservation work to save parrots and cockatoos from extinction in Indonesia.[15] The film shows the history and current work of IPP, the challenges of parrot conservation in Indonesia, and the importance of protecting parrots as flagship species.[16] We zig-zag around the Indonesian archipelago following local researchers to show their work in action. We travel to the remote island of Masakambing to see the collaboration with local people looking after the last remaining population of the Abbotti cockatoo, to the Moluccas to observe the parrot rehabilitation and release center of IPP, and to the Komodo island to reveal how the famous dragons contribute to the conservation of a critically endangered cockatoo species. In the documentary we examine all aspects of parrot conservation including the roles and responsibilities of conservationists, decision makers, local communities and eco-tourists, demonstrating that success can be achieved only by well-organized cooperation among them.

In February, 2016 the nine members of an international scientific expedition finally got onboard of an Amazonian motorised canoe. It took 4 days for them to reach the location. After setting up their base camp in the rainforest, researchers climbed giant trees, investigated nest hollows, captured and tagged young macaws and collected blood samples and feathers for genetic analysis. But doing serious scientific work in the Amazon is not an easy feat. Jaguars visit the camp, wasps attack the climbers and parasites hunt and bite every free piece of skin. Despite all the challenges the team returns to the lab with the invaluable samples that can help us understand the status of an isolated parrot population.[17]

After years of preparation, zoologist George Olah finally got what he wanted. A special permission from the government of Peru. The 50+ page document gave him access to the Holy Grail of parrot researchers: the Candamo Basin, in the Peruvian Amazon. A place where wildlife exists without any human disturbance since the beginning of times. Surrounded by the foothills of the Andes, the Candamo Basin hosts one of the very few uninhabited tropical rainforest of the world. Not even native tribes had settled here and decades had passed since the last camera team dared to sail the hostile rapids of the Candamo river.[18]

Rhinos are in a retreat. In their constant battle with mankind and changing climate, these prehistoric giants keep losing. From Europe they vanished thousands of years ago, with nothing but faint cave paintings remaining in their wake. In Asia a handful of them are roaming the last fragments of the rainforest. In Africa their survivors are forced behind electric fences, guarded by heavily armed rangers. On the black market the price of rhino horn is skyrocketing. The result is a massive wave of poaching, sweeping through the entire world. Europol issued a warning that organized crime gangs started to steal rhino horns from museums and private collections. Rhinos are wanted around the world. Dead or alive. Still, there is a place where they can find a safe shelter. And that place is in the freezer…[19]

A long-term scientific research project has been implemented in the Tambopata Research Center. Here in the Peruvian Amazon, biologists, veterinarians, and geneticists work tirelessly to study the enigmatic macaws in their natural habitat. The acquired knowledge helps them to maintain the species and protect this biodiversity hotspot from human intruders: the gold miners. However, scientific approach alone was not enough to protect the area. A clever, economic solution was needed, offering alternative incentives to local people to keep these forests standing: eco-tourism. The Macaw Project gives a glimpse to the everyday work of the researchers, while also explains cutting-edge techniques with novel findings in a comprehensible way. It reveals information about the tropical rainforest ecosystem based on hard scientific evidence. This scientific documentary presents a sustainable and internationally applicable model for biodiversity conservation, incorporating scientific research and eco-tourism with strong involvement of the local communities.[20]