The bird that defied extinction
In 1977, Gustavo Del Solar found a long-lost bird species in the Peruvian wilderness, and made it his life mission to save it. His son Rafael remembers the discovery.
In 1969, a Peruvian farmer called Gustavo Del Solar received an unusual assignment - finding a bird called the white-winged guan that had been regarded as extinct for a century.
After years of searching, he found the bird deep in Peru’s wilderness in 1977. He then made it his life’s mission to save the species, setting up a zoo in his family home.
Thanks to Gustavo's discovery, the Peruvian government protected the white-winged guan and its population continued to grow. His son, Rafael Del Solar, tells Ben Henderson about his dad's love for the 'chicken-sized' birds.
(Photo: Gustavo Del Solar with a white-winged guan. Credit: Rafael Del Solar/El Comercio)
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White-winged guan: Finding Peru's lost bird
Duration: 01:16
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- Tue 28 Nov 2023 08:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Tue 28 Nov 2023 12:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Tue 28 Nov 2023 18:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Tue 28 Nov 2023 23:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Wed 29 Nov 2023 03:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia & West and Central Africa
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