Caregiver Dorianne has a special relationship with « dangerous » shoal barefar from Pairi Daiza: « One day he allowed me to his world »
An intense look. A prehistoric silhouette. A sharp beak that can crush the skull of a crocodile. The shoebekooievaar is one of the most enigmatic and impressive birds on this planet. Forming a bond with the birds is not easy, but caretaker Dorianne from Pairi Daiza played it ready. She was able to win the confidence of Marqoub, a male shoal barefoot that is known for his difficult character.
Winning the confidence of a shoe bastard is a true art. Beak clocks, greetings, silence, gradual withdrawal … It is a language that few people understand. Yet after eighteen months of constant effort and meticulous observation, Dorianne has succeeded in communicating with the unpredictable Marqoub. « I didn’t tamper him. I learned his language, » says Dorianne. « I have observed every movement, every sound of him. I have waited. I respected his pace. And one day he allowed me to his world. »
The shoebekooievaar is a special bird that can reach a height of 2.30 meters up to 1.40 meters high. As a solitary predator, the master of hiding and lightning -fast attacks is. It feeds on fish, amphibians, snakes and even young crocodiles, which grabs it with a precise and super -fast beak.
There would be fewer than 5,000 copies in the wild. In Europe, the species is extremely rare in zoos, and there are few institutions that have managed to build some confidence with these birds.
