A wild lesser flamingo seems to be a \u201ctrue ambassador\u201d of its species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was rehabilitated alongside others rescued from the almost dried-up Kamfers Dam outside Kimberley three years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once released in July 2019, it moved to Gqeberha. It returned to Kamfers Dam for five months before going back to Gqeberha, and again flew towards Kimberley two weeks ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It remains to be seen if the bird, currently in the Bultfontein area, will fly to Botswana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Dr Doug Harebottle, acting director of the Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre at the Sol Plaatje University, the movement of this bird gives a glimpse into how flamingos utilise the landscape in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bird was rescued in Schweizer-Reneke and brought to Kimberley where Dr Donovan Smith, veterinarian, rehabilitated it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A tracking device was fitted to the bird before its release on Kamfers Dam in 2019. It was ringed with the number 0001 to identify it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bird has since spent the last 18 months feeding at various salt pans, including Tankatara in the Eastern Cape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn 19 January 2022, at around 19:00, it departed from Tankatara and headed northwards, arriving at a farm dam just south of Koffiefontein at around 05:00. It spent the day on the dam, resting and feeding, before heading towards Kimberley at around 20:00. Just south of Kimberley it turned a sharp 90 degrees and headed northeast, arriving at a farm dam south of Bultfontein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m continually fascinated by these movements. I thought the bird had settled in the Eastern Cape,\u201d Harebottle says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is not one of the rehabilitated birds from Kamfers Dam, but a wild bird that was found injured close by and brought to Kimberley at the same time the rescue and rehabilitation operation of young flamingos was underway. It was a perfect opportunity to fit a tracking device to a wild bird.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is intrigued by the possibility that the bird might leave South Africa and fly to Botswana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs the bird, together with others, perhaps heading to Botswana and the Sua Pan in the Makgadikgadi region to breed? We will be watching its movements closely.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A wild lesser flamingo seems to be a \u201ctrue ambassador\u201d of its 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