Longleat is experiencing a baby boom with a number of new arrivals from rare Amur tiger cubs to a critically endangered cotton top tamarin monkey plus an endangered secretary bird chick. There have also been two Californian sea lion pups and exciting developments with the native wildlife with beaver kits recently caught on camera.
Darren Beasley, head of animal operations at Longleat, said: “It is proving to be an exciting year for new arrivals and the flamingo chicks should be relatively easy for people to spot as they tour the Safari Park.”
Flamingos lay a single egg on top of a tall cone nest. All chicks are born with white plumage, which they keep for around three years, and a straight bill which gradually droops down as the bird grows.
“It’s interesting to note that while the babies initially have white or grey feathers as they grow and develop, they will become pink. This is because the colour comes through from their diet,” said Darren. “In the wild flamingos eat small crustaceans and other microscopic animals and plants which are obtained by filter feeding. At Longleat they eat a special flamingo diet that contains pigments essential for maintaining their distinct colour,” he added.
Fully grown they are around a-metre-and-a-half tall and can weigh anywhere up to seven kgs. They live 15-20 years in the wild, however in captivity, and safe from predators, they can reach ages of 70 years.
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