‘Farewell, flamingo friends’: Beloved birds are leaving NC Zoo. Where they’re headed
A flock of beloved flamingos is leaving the North Carolina Zoo — but there’s still a chance to say your goodbyes.
Visitors are encouraged to wear pink during the zoo’s farewell event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. The festivities will take place at the flamingo habitat, near the wildlife park’s Junction Plaza.
“Farewell, flamingo friends,” the zoo wrote Aug. 21 in a Facebook post.
Some of the 15 Chilean flamingos in the zoo’s “long-time favorite habitat” are from the original flock that came in 1982. But, their habitat is next to an outdated aviary that is being torn down, so the flamingos will need to go somewhere else, the zoo wrote in a news release.
“We will miss our pink-feathered friends, but this move is necessary to demolish the Aviary that permanently closed in 2022,” officials wrote, adding that the zoo isn’t sure if flamingos will be included in new plans for that part of the wildlife park.
What happens to the flamingos next?
In late September, the well-loved animals will move in with 19 other flamingos at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina. Joining the other birds in their habitat could make settling into their new home easier, officials said.
“Flamingos are social birds that live in large flocks in the wild,” the N.C. Zoo wrote. “We are very thankful to the Greenville Zoo for accepting the entire flock, as several of these birds have been together for over 25 years.”
Meanwhile, the news of the flamingos’ departure left several social media users sharing tributes or wishing the bright pink birds well in their next chapter.
“It’s sad to see them go, but I’m glad they’re getting a good home and staying together,” one person wrote on Facebook.
Chilean flamingos can live up to 50 years in captivity and grow to over 4 feet tall. The colorful birds have been known to live in flocks of 30,000 or more, and “crowded conditions are required for successful breeding,” according to the zoo.
The N.C. Zoo is in Asheboro, roughly 70 miles west of Raleigh.
This story was originally published August 22, 2023 at 9:04 AM with the headline "‘Farewell, flamingo friends’: Beloved birds are leaving NC Zoo. Where they’re headed."
