DDT and other pesticides were identified as the root cause of a near fatal decline in North American and European Peregrine populations. Were it not for decades of dedicated work by thousands of organizations and individuals, those Peregrine populations would have been lost forever. With research work started at Cornell University, a vast captive breeding program raised over 7,000 birds and released them to the wild. The result of this multi-million dollar program was that in late 1999 Peregrine Falcons were removed from the endangered species list in North America. The Fiji Peregrine, Falco peregrinus nesiotis, is not so fortunate and has a difficult and dangerous road ahead before it too can enjoy population stability.

Her name is Suva and she arrived in Fiji on May 14, 2000 to join the captive breeding program. Raised in USA from Fiji Peregrine stock, Suva will play a vital role in saving her species in Fiji.
Ganivatu - Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus nesiotes
The Captive Breeding Center is 50' by 40' and provides the isolation these raptors need for breeding.
This strange looking building, nestled in a quiet valley at the rear of Kula Eco Park, is a state of the art 8 chamber captive breeding center. Dedicated in October 1998 by Ratu Josefa Iloilo, President of Fiji , the building houses six pairs of Fiji Peregrines and is the focal point of an international effort to breed and release offspring. Estimates of the current wild population in Fiji vary. It could be as low as 20 breeding pairs.
Each breeding chamber is monitored. Eating and mating behaviors are recorded daily.
The Kula facility was designed and built under the direction and with the financial assistance of Dr. Dan Brimm of the Endangered Species Recovery Council, San Diego and Dr. Clayton White, Zoological Dept., Brigham Young University, Utah. These two dedicated professionals, along with Fiji's Fergus Clunie, are most responsible for the knowledge we have on this rare raptor.
Each chamber has a main entrance door, a separate door to the water bowl and a further door to the feeding ledge. One way glass allows observation at close quarters without alarming the falcons.

The breeding pairs at the facility, many of whom were themselves breed in captivity in USA and returned to Fiji, are monitored by closed circuit television so as to avoid as much human contact as possible. Balanced diet is a key element in the program and the Zoological Society of San Diego has provided assistance in this area.

Although 30 plus eggs are produced each breeding season at Kula, only one or two are found fertile. Herein lies the root cause of this magnificent bird's decline. It is hoped that upcoming breeding seasons will see a resolution to the infertility problem and abundant offspring for release.

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