{"id":217256,"date":"2025-12-30T01:31:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T01:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/217256\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T01:31:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T01:31:08","slug":"last-survivor-of-dodos-family-found-in-remote-rainforest-leaving-scientists-stunned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/217256\/","title":{"rendered":"Last Survivor of Dodo\u2019s Family Found in Remote Rainforest, Leaving Scientists Stunned!"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent field study led by the Samoa Conservation Society (SCS) has confirmed multiple sightings of the manumea (Didunculus strigirostris), a critically endangered bird and the last living member of its genus, in the remote Uafato rainforest. The species, often called the little dodo, has long been presumed on the verge of extinction. This discovery, the first series of confirmed sightings in over a decade, signals a fragile but significant opportunity to save a species once thought lost to history.<\/p>\n

A Living Fossil On The Brink: What The New Sightings Reveal<\/p>\n

The manumea has long been shrouded in scientific uncertainty, its elusive presence feeding fears of extinction. The recent survey by the Samoa Conservation Society<\/a>, conducted between October 17 and November 13, recorded five separate sightings of the bird, a sharp increase compared to previous years, where researchers were lucky to report even a single encounter. This sudden shift has reignited hope among conservationists, but it also highlights the urgency of acting before this unique species vanishes for good.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was our worry,\u201d said Moeumu Uili, a project coordinator focusing on manumea with SCS. \u201cWhat happens if we can\u2019t find the bird? Does that mean the manumea is no more?\u201d Her concern is rooted in both professional and cultural realities. The manumea is not just a rare animal <\/a>but a national symbol of Samoa, representing the fragile balance between biodiversity and human impact in island ecosystems.<\/p>\n

The manumea is notoriously hard to track. \u201cAll of a sudden, it appears out of nowhere,\u201d Uili explained to LiveScience<\/a>. \u201cWhen we see it through the binoculars, we can see the bird.\u201d But the moment is fleeting. \u201cBy the time researchers lower their binoculars to get a camera, the bird is gone,\u201d she added. The last photograph of the species in the wild was taken in 2013.<\/p>\n

This elusive behavior, combined with rugged terrain and wet conditions, makes traditional tracking methods unreliable. As a result, conservationists are increasingly turning to bioacoustic tools and camera traps, as well as community engagement efforts, to piece together the bird\u2019s movements.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Little Dodo\u2019: Unique And Irreplaceable<\/p>\n

Scientifically named Didunculus strigirostris, the manumea is the only extant member of the Didunculus genus. It is a direct evolutionary cousin of the extinct dodo. Both species are considered island ground pigeons, adapted to life on isolated islands without natural mammalian predators.<\/p>\n

The manumea is about the size of a chicken, but its significance goes well beyond its modest dimensions. If lost, the entire genus will vanish, ending a genetic lineage that has survived for thousands of years. In many ways, the bird is a biological relic, a living chapter of evolutionary history on the verge of being erased.<\/p>\n

Today, the manumea is fighting the same forces that doomed the dodo: habitat loss, hunting, and invasive predators. Despite hunting bans and cultural campaigns, including public murals urging people to \u201cSave the Manumea,\u201d the bird remains critically endangered.<\/p>\n

Predators And Poachers: The Twin Threats To Survival<\/p>\n

While illegal hunting has decreased due to awareness campaigns and legal deterrents, invasive species pose a far greater and more insidious threat. Feral cats, rats, and even pigs are now the main predators of both adult manumea and their young. \u201cThe impact on manumea is certainly catastrophic,\u201d said Joe Wood, manager of International Conservation Programs at the Toledo Zoo. \u201cIt seems very likely that feral cats are a major cause of decline,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Wood, who also co-chairs a conservation group at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), emphasized the need for urgent action. \u201cThere has to be some kind of control program.\u201d Rats and cats not only predate on chicks and eggs, but also decimate the native invertebrates and seeds that the manumea feeds on, further disrupting the already fragile ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Efforts are underway to expand invasive species management programs, particularly from the existing Malololelei Recreation Reserve to newly surveyed areas like Uafato. These programs involve targeted trapping, habitat restoration, and community education, all requiring sustained funding and political will.<\/p>\n

Biobanking And Genetic Rescue: A New Frontier For Conservation<\/p>\n

One of the most promising strategies to save the manumea lies in biobanking, the collection and preservation of biological samples to establish cultured cell lines. If successful, this approach would enable scientists to study the bird\u2019s genetic makeup, unlocking potential solutions for captive breeding or even genetic rescue.<\/p>\n

Organizations like Colossal Biosciences, better known for their controversial efforts to \u201cde-extinct\u201d species like the dodo and dire wolf, are now supporting manumea conservation indirectly. The group is reportedly developing an app to identify the manumea\u2019s call in the wild, distinguishing it from similar species to improve tracking and population estimates.<\/p>\n

But not all experts agree on the role of high-tech interventions. Nic Rawlence, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Otago, warns that reviving or rescuing species genetically means little without the ecological infrastructure to support them. \u201cIt still comes down to the grunt work of predator control, habitat restoration, translocation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A recent field study led by the Samoa Conservation Society (SCS) has confirmed multiple sightings of the manumea…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":217257,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[61,60,82,263],"class_list":{"0":"post-217256","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=217256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217256\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/217257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}