Hundreds of baby flamingos have been rescued at the Kamfers Dam by a group of Kimberley residents. The chicks have been feeling the pinch of the dry sewage dam with many of them dying as a result of dehydration and starvation.
Still fragile and young, chicks rescued by Kimberley bird lovers are slowly coming back to life.
Veterinarian Donovan Smith has to slowly feed them glucose water to revive their energy after days of starvation and dehydration.
“The weaker chicks that have been without food do not want to eat by themselves. So, we are just helping them along with some drip to get them a bit stronger and hopefully, when they are stronger they will start eating,” says Veterinarian Donovan Smith.
The man-made Kamfers Dam sewage dam is currently running low on sewage water supply, with the lack of rain also aggravating the situation. Linja Allen from Saamstaan Kimberley organised residents to rescue the chicks with the help of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“We, as humans, need to interfere here. Obviously, the rain is playing a big role, but there is also a problem with the infrastructure and the water that needs to be pumped into the dam is not coming here.”
Some residents volunteered their time to also save and feed the chicks.
“I am concerned because there is no rain. It is too hot for them to move closer to the water and then they die,” says one of the volunteers.
The group of residents says they will continue monitoring the sewage dam as some eggs are yet to hatch.
Meanwhile, the baby flamingos are expected to be taken to bird rehabilitation centres, where they are expected to receive proper care.
