Meet Edinburgh Zoo's first flamingo chicks in nine years - Douglas and Derek
The chicks hatched in September of this year.
Edinburgh Zoo’s first flamingo chicks in nine years have been named Douglas and Derek.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) made the announcement after the wildlife conservation charity determined the sex of the chicks.
Douglas hatched on September 4 and was Edinburgh Zoo’s first flamingo chick in almost a decade.
Meanwhile, Derek hatched on September 16.
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The sex of the chicks was determined by DNA testing which is a non-invasive method of sexual identification, using chromosomes to determine whether a bird is male or female.
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The Chilean flamingo is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it could become Endangered.
Its survival is threatened by habitat loss from mining, water diversion and pollution, as well as human disturbances like unregulated tourism and egg collection.
Visitors can book zoo tickets online in advance at edinburghzoo.org.uk/tickets.
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