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Auckland Zoo tickled pink at arrival of second-ever flamingo chick

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Tue, 17 Jan 2017, 10:30AM
The newest member of the flamingo flamboyance at Auckland Zoo (Supplied / Emma Wells)
The newest member of the flamingo flamboyance at Auckland Zoo (Supplied / Emma Wells)

Auckland Zoo tickled pink at arrival of second-ever flamingo chick

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Tue, 17 Jan 2017, 10:30AM

Auckland Zoo has welcomed a new flamingo chick, for only the second time in the zoo's history.

The chick, whose sex will not be known for some time, hatched on January 3.

In 2014, the zoo was the first in Australasia to breed Greater flamingo chicks, as well as the first zoo in the world to successfully breed from an entirely hand-reared flock.

Former exotic birds team leader Michael Batty raised and transported Auckland Zoo’s flock of Greater flamingos to New Zealand in 2001, from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, England.

He and Pridelands team leader Nat Sullivan assisted with the hatching of the new chick.

“The chick was taking longer than usual to hatch, so we decided to give it a helping hand by very carefully removing some of its egg shell,” said Mr Batty.

"This is a difficult and delicate task, but luckily the chick welcomed the assistance.

Ms Sullivan has been monitoring the chicks’ progress since incubation. 

“It is doing really well. It’s steadily getting bigger and more vocal, and is even starting to stand on one leg,” she said.

“It’s certainly been keeping us busy with regular feedings and check-ups, but of course none of us mind, it’s a really cool little chick and great to see it improving every day.”

Young flamingos lack the pink feathering for which these birds are famed. This pink plumage develops over their first three years, due to the shrimp-like crustaceans in their diet.

It will be a few months before visitors can come and see it, but the zoo will be posting updates on its website and social media accounts.

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