Flamingos hatch at zoo

A Chilean flamingo tends to its newly-hatched chick at the Santa Barbara Zoo yesterday. Eight flamingo chicks have recently hatched, and several more are expected to hatch soon. This is the third time in recent years that the Zoo’s flamingos have successfully bred. They produced five chicks in 2003 and three last year. Zoo officials claim their success is due to a wall that was erected near the exhibit during a recent construction project. The chicks don’t turn pink until they are about a year old. The chicks born last year still have several grey feathers. For more information about the Zoo, visit www.sbzoo.org.