Last November, the Novosibirsk Zoo sheltered a young pink flamingo, which strayed from the pack and stayed to winter in Siberia during the abnormally warm end of autumn. The zoo told how the unexpected guest, who got lost on the way to the south, is doing.
In Siberia, flamingos do not nest or overwinter, but only occasionally stay during migration. In winter, they fly to the southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran). If something scares or confuses the flock during the flight, the birds may lose their way. Something similar happened to this flamingo, which has not even managed to take on an adult color yet.
"We do not know what exactly happened to the flock, for what reason the bird strayed from it and was left alone. When the flamingos were found, winter was already beginning in the Novosibirsk region – it was snowing, it was frosty at night. And the bird could have died if people hadn't saved it. At the time of admission to the zoo, she had no visible injuries, but there were signs of dehydration, hypothermia, and weakness. Our veterinarians did everything that was necessary. Now we can say that the flamingo has adapted. He has a good appetite and is getting used to his new home. He was transferred to the pavilion where the other flamingos live. So far, a separate fence has been made for the new bird, but it is made of a grid and, one might say, conditional. Flamingos see each other, hear each other and are already "talking". We hope that the foundling will become a full member of the pack," zoo director Andrey Shilo told the New Siberia edition.
The bird is about 6 months old, it is still grayish-white in color, the legs and flight feathers are almost black. In two years, the baby will repaint and turn into a "sunset child", and there will be not one, but two representatives of pink flamingos in the zoo. The first one was also found in nature and rescued, the zoo's website emphasizes.
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