Rare parrots bred at zoo after 19 years

Zoo keepers have succeeded in breeding three rare parrots after 19 years of trying. The Philippine cockatoo chicks are being hand-reared at Chester Zoo in Cheshire after they were hatched in incubators.

The chicks, which look like "tiny dinosaurs", are so small they are being kept in an ice-cream tub which is doubling up as a crib.

Andy Woolham, team manager of parrots and penguins, said: "I might risk the wrath of my wife in saying this, but after 19 years of trying, breeding these birds is just as exciting as my wedding day and the birth of my son."

The species has an aggressive nature which makes successful breeding a rare occurrence.