The orange-bellied parrots are officially making a comeback. Thanks to the years of hard work from Zoos Victoria and other conservationists, the orange-bellied parrots of Tasmania are reaching a population of the low hundreds, fighting back from habitat loss, disease, climate change, increase of predators, and other factors previously threatening their extinction.

Zoos Victoria has aided in bringing these beautiful birds back by providing them with a safe habitat separate from the wild and examining their migration patterns to ensure that they will be released at a proper time from the zoo at a proper time. The Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program also played a big role in conservation efforts, by introducing a new program that released 28 parrots to Melaleuca, in southwest Tasmania, to join an adult breeding and nesting colony there. This was crucial because it allowed the birds to learn the migration patterns from older, more experienced parrots, which helped to ensure their survival and ability to reproduce. 

While these efforts to save such a beloved species are very much appreciated, there is still so much more that can be done. Anybody can help contribute to the cause by raising awareness in their community for the orange-bellied parrot, donating money to Zoos Victoria and other not-for-profits and learning more about local conservation events that may be happening. In the race to protect wildlife, even the smallest of contributions can make a big difference in the lives of animals.