Maryland Zoo Helps With Flamingo Rescue Operation In South Africa

The manager of the Maryland Zoo’s Penguin Coast is helping to rescue flamingos in South Africa. Zoo officials said the rescue came after more than 1,800 chicks were left to fend for themselves in January at Kamfers Dam in Kimberley.

The 1,200-acre lake at the dam was drying up from extreme drought conditions.

Unable to feed their chicks, thousands of flamingos abandoned their nests at the site, about 600 miles off the coast of South Africa.

A private plane owned by a local mining company flew many of the chicks to Cape Town. There, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds operates a seabird rescue and rehabilitation facility, where Maryland Zoo officials said their staff have facilitated African penguin rehabilitation and release in the past few years. In its time of need, the foundation called upon its longtime conservation partner the Maryland Zoo to help.

Penguin Coast Area Manager Jess Phillips arrived in South Africa on Friday, Feb. 1.

“To see adults abandon their nests, leaving eggs and chicks behind is devastating, and when our colleagues [in South Africa] reached out to us for help, we quickly mobilized an emergency response,” said Phillips, who noted Kamfers Dam is one of the most important breeding sites for lesser flamingos in southern Africa.

Phillips is now in the process of helping with a batch of 285 of the 1,800 flamingo chicks.

“The first week with the chicks was tough, and we suffered some losses, but the majority are doing well and growing stronger daily,” Phillips said in a statement released by the zoo on Thursday, Feb. 7. “There are a lot of partners working together on their behalf and sites are being surveilled for releasing the fledglings when the time comes. This is a long-term effort, and I am very proud to represent the Maryland Zoo…”

Phillips is supervising about 75 to 100 chicks each day, preparing their food, feeding them every three hours with a syringe, checking their health, letting them out for a swim or sunning, cleaning their pens and monitoring them. Two teams of volunteers and staff are working eight-hour shifts to care for them.

“The chicks have to be constantly monitored, especially as they are unable to regulate their temperature,” said Phillips. “It’s still summer here in South Africa, and the rooms the chicks are in are kept at around 90 to 95 degrees, so it’s pretty warm to be working in there, but it’s best for the chicks.”

Others from facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums will be involved soon, according to the Maryland Zoo.

When they are chicks, the birds appear gray and fuzzy. It takes flamingos 75 days to be able to develop their feathers, which will evolve into pink plumage, according to zoo officials, who say they will be 2.5 to 3 feet tall and up to 6 pounds.

Lesser flamingos, which are some of the smallest and brightest flamingos, are listed as near threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Species. They are among six types of flamingos, and zoo officials say they face habitat destruction.

At the Maryland Zoo, more than a dozen Caribbean flamingos can be found near the entrance of African Journey.

“Over the years we have focused efforts here at the Zoo on topnotch animal care and breeding, cutting-edge medical care and research, and creating strong education programs for raising awareness and making connections with our guests in regards to wildlife and the challenges they face in the wild,” said Dr. Ellen Bronson, senior director of animal health, conservation, and research for the Maryland Zoo. “Sending staff to assist our partners in emergency situations such as this is just one way we can focus on conservation action for wildlife and supporting our conservation partnerships.”

Photos from the South African rescue effort courtesy of the Maryland Zoo.

Click Here: geelong cats guernsey 2019