PUERTO DE LA CRUZ (TENERIFE), 26 (EUROPA PRESS)
Loro Parque in Tenerife has recently celebrated the birth of three guitar sharks, marking the first of their species in the park. This achievement represents a significant milestone for the ‘Animal Embassy’ in the conservation of marine species, as these animals are classified as critically endangered in the wild.
“At Loro Parque’s aquarium, we have been working with various shark species for decades, which has enabled us to focus on the key aspects necessary to create an environment where they feel comfortable and can display their natural behaviours, including reproduction,” explains Yeray Martín, the aquarium curator at Loro Parque.
Currently, the young sharks are under strict supervision from the park’s aquarist team, and it is expected that they will soon start participating in training programmes alongside their peers, the company stated in a press release.
Guitar sharks belong to the order Rajiformes, one of the most threatened groups of marine animals on the planet.
In fact, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one-third of these animals are critically endangered.
For instance, they are severely impacted by overfishing, often becoming accidentally caught in fishing nets. Additionally, these animals take several years to reach sexual maturity, which poses a serious risk to their replacement rate.
“They are extremely difficult to breed under human care, which highlights the excellent work carried out by our professionals,” explains Wolfgang Kiessling, President of the Loro Parque Group.
