Whipsnade Zoo welcomes newly-hatched Flamingo chicks

The chicks are being hand-reared by zookeepers after being imported from Chester Zoo.

They were incubated and hatched at Whipsnade's specialist bird nursery.

Their arrival is part of the Zoo's involvement in the European conservation breeding programme. 

Whipsnade Zoo’s head bird keeper, Tim Savage, said: “The chicks’ arrival ensures that Whipsnade Zoo has a healthy and genetically diverse flock of flamingos, so that they can continue to play an important role in the species’ conservation and breeding by introducing different bloodlines to the flock.

"The chicks are gaining weight every day and becoming more active.” 

Known as Phoenicopterus ruber, the American flamingos are currently fed four times a day, with zookeepers having their hands full with their new friends.

The chicks were brought to Whipsnade from Chester Zoo (Image: Whipsnade Zoo)

At the moment they're being fed a milkshake consisting of a whole boiled egg blended with extra yolks, boiled water, corn oil, vitamins, and minerals, designed to mimic the milk produced by their parents.

The chicks are being fed with a special diet aimed at replicating their mothers milk. (Image: Whipsnade Zoo)

After ten days they'll be introduced to solid foods, with zookeepers hoping to reacquaint them with their fluffy families after around two months.

While the flamingo population remains mostly stable, the climate emergency does pose a threat to their natural environments.