St. Louis zoo receives baby flamingos

By AP/KWMU

St. Louis, MO – The St. Louis Zoo says a dozen flamingo hatchlings are doing well, even though they will stay out of public view until they become adults next year.

The zoo recently brought in Caribbean flamingo eggs from Hialeah Racetrack in Miami. The newly hatched chicks range from three weeks old to four weeks old. They are being hand-raised and are fed a special formula.

The Miami racetrack has not held a horse race in six years, but 300 Caribbean flamingoes still live in the racing oval there. The Caribbean flamingo is the only flamingo that naturally inhabits North America.

Hialeah has distributed flamingo eggs to zoos since the 1980s. The St. Louis Zoo is among four to acquire eggs this summer.