Birds of a Feather

In our last issue we shared how, with your help, we were able to assist with the globally-coordinated rescue of abandoned flamingos in South Africa.

Now, more than 350 of these rescued birds have been returned to their natural habitat!

These flamingos were among the thousands that were rescued in January from a dried-out Kamfers Dam, an important breeding location in South Africa’s Kimberly region, back in January. Since local rescuers were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of birds needing help, the chicks were transported to conservation centers around the country.

Our own Curator of Birds & Mammals, Lauren Wilson, flew into South Africa to assist with the care of the flamingos, including their feeding,

medical care and even designing and building a specialized holding area for the rehabilitating birds.

After months of hard work by zoo and aquarium representatives and other dedicated animal rescuers, many of these flamingos have returned home to start the rest of their lives back in their natural habitat. The birds were “quarantined” upon arrival into Kimberley in May, where rescuers placed bands on the birds to help identify them, performed physical evaluations and screened them for disease.

The birds were then released to rejoin their flock. In the days since they’ve first returned, rescuers on the ground report these birds are thriving!

It’s because of people like YOU that we were able to make a difference for these flamingos. You can learn more about how your support of the Aquarium helps save wildlife in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and beyond at texasstateaquarium.org