Saying Goodbye to a Flamingo

On January 23, our ACHW team made the compassionate decision to euthanize 38-year-old Chilean flamingo ‘Esmeraldas’.

The median life expectancy for female Chilean flamingos under human care is 30 years, making Esmeraldas’ near four decades with us truly remarkable. She had developed degenerative heart and vascular disease that impacted her wellbeing and ability to keep up with the flock. The ACHW team had closely monitored changes to her health through exams and cardiac ultrasounds. Necropsy findings confirmed degenerative changes to heart and blood vessels which significantly impacted her overall health and wellbeing.

Esmeraldas was one of our longest Chilean flamingo residents, joining our zoo family in 1988, and she will be deeply missed.