Well known for its flock of Chilean flamingos, Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon has welcomed its first flamingo chicks in six years.
Recently hatched, the two small, pale and fluffy chicks are now being looked after by their parents and protected from both the weather and predatory gulls. It will be a while before they look like the 50 strong tall and pink adult flamingos currently living on the zoo’s lagoon.
Paignton Zoo has a good record with this species, with some of its birds approaching their 50th birthdays. Although they don’t breed every year, the long hot summer might well have helped this year’s successful hatchings.
The Chilean flamingo is classed as Near Threatened in the wild. and can be found not only in Chile, but southern Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and southern Brazil.
This large bird favours saltwater lakes and lagoons, and although people think flamingos are soft and delicate because they’re pink, they are actually tough birds that have evolved to live in a tough habitats.
For more information on visiting Paignton Zoo Environmental Park go to  www.paigntonzoo.org.uk or ring 0844 474 2222.
Discover Animals is a small team dedicated to bringing you the latest conservation and nature news. If you enjoy our content, please support our work with a donation from as little as £1.
