MELBOURNE, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The deaths of 16 critically endangered Australian parrots in captivity has been described as "heartbreaking."
16 orange-bellied parrots at a captive breeding center in Hobart were killed by a common bacteria variety, the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) confirmed in a statement on Tuesday, bringing the population of the birds at the facility to just 120.
It is the second time in 12 months that a significant percentage of the population at the breeding facility in Taroona have been killed in one event after rats got into the facility in January 2016, killing 14 parrots in an incident that then Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt describes as "deeply disturbing."
In 2013, two more birds died after a cat breached a perimeter fence and startled two birds which flew into an aviary wall.
Autopsies carried out on four of the dead adults at Taroona revealed that the dead birds tested positive to pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common strain of bacteria.
Orange-bellied parrots have previously died from the same bacteria at two mainland breeding facilities.
In a statement, a spokesperson for DPIPWE said additional biosecurity measures had been put in place to stop the outbreak from spreading.
"The concern for the parrot is being felt by all and these events are always devastating for all who care for this species, directly and indirectly," the spokesperson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday.
"Following a successful breeding season in 2015/16 in which the Hobart Wildlife Centre produced 61 fledglings for the insurance and breed-for-release program it's been an absolutely heartbreaking start to the new year."
Rosalie Woodruff, a Member of Parliament for the Greens party in Tasmania, said there were no excuses for the 16 deaths.
"You might expect a couple of birds to die, but this is clearly a case of transmission between birds," Woodruff told the ABC on Tuesday.
"And that suggests there's a lack of process and procedures, there may be training issues, caused by a government that's starving DPIPWE of core services funding."
