A red-footed booby chick named Dolly is on her way to recovery after a recent visit to Island Vets to treat a broken wing.
The chick, which was rescued in March, made the trip from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman this week for medical care, the National Trust shared through its Facebook page.
National Trust Little Cayman District Committee Chair Gregory McTaggart has been overseeing Dolly’s care, “ensuring she has a smooth recovery”, the Trust said.
“It was incredibly heartwarming to see the positive welcome Dolly received during her visit to Island Vets to treat a broken wing and her return home to Little Cayman… The Cayman community came together to help Dolly on her journey home and we couldn’t be more grateful. Special thanks to Tamara Doyle, Manon Company, Thibault Blanc, Ronnie Dougall and Greg McTaggart,” the Trust said.
It was Doyle, Manon Company, and Thibault Blanc staff of Little Cayman Beach Resort that rescued Dolly.
They had alerted the DoE officer on the island, Ronnie Dougall, who responded to call for assistance.
McTaggart has been taking care of the bird with the support of donors.
Last April, another booby chick, then just two weeks old, was found on the side of the road. That chick was named Marilyn.
In a previous post, the Little Cayman District Committee of the National Trust said that six booby chicks, including Dolly, had been found on the ground in the rookery since 2019.
“Three did not make it and two were raised to fledging and successfully re-introduced into the wild. This is the aim for this chick as well,” it had said.
The Trust expressed its gratitude to Island Vets and the generous support of Cayman Airways for the assistance when the bird arrived on Monday and returned Little Cayman the following day.
“In fact, everyone that Dolly met along her journey were eager to help get her home safe and sound, including Customs officials, who guided her through the airports, CAL Cargo workers, who made sure that she had a cool and quiet place to wait for her flights, and CAL Express pilots, who personally ensured that she was safe and comfortable on the plane,” it added.
The Trust said that Dolly’s family lives at the Booby Pond Nature Reserve located in Little Cayman, a protected area of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.
“[The] reserve consists of a land-locked saltwater lagoon with mangrove margins leading to old-growth dry forest. The reserve covers 340 acres, which we hold in perpetuity for conservation,” the Trust said.
The Trust added that the most distinctive aspect of the Booby Pond is its resident colony of approximately 10,000 red-footed boobies.
“The reserve is the only breeding site for the red-footed booby in the Cayman Islands and the colony is one of the largest of this species in the region. The importance of this site was recognised in June 1994, when the Booby Pond Nature Reserve was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the terms of the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty on the conservation of wetlands,” it added.
Donations to support the costs of Dolly’s care can be made here.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify that Dolly was rescued in March 2024.
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