FLAMINGO RESCUE IN ETOSHA-NATIONAL-PARK, 1994 - TECHNICAL, CONSERVATION AND ECONOMIC-CONSIDERATIONS

During April 1994, 144 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber chicks we re taken from Etosha Pan, Namibia, following drying of the shallow wat er and the death of hundreds of chicks. The captured chicks ranged fro m approximately 2 weeks to 2 months of age and were hand-reared at Oka ukuejo until being released (7 weeks later) or sold (12 weeks later). Fourteen birds died within 8 days; only two died later. Of 77 chicks r eleased at Walvis Bay, their traditional wintering grounds, 76 were fi tted with yellow plastic rings and 73 with numbered metal rings. These grey juveniles were highly visible in the lagoon among the pink adult s, and were resighted regularly. Most of the 20 birds recovered dead w ithin two months of release were birds with wing chord measurements le ss than 315 mm. and black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas predation was the most likely cause of death. Bird counts 11 and 14 months later at Walvis Bay and surrounding wetlands revealed no juveniles at all, sugg esting high mortality. However, four ringed flamingos were sighted in Jan. 1997, and one debilitated ringed flamingo was recovered at the Na mibia-Botswana border in Feb. 1997. A lack of predator avoidance was t hought to be the main factor responsible for the high mortalities.