Selfie Flamingos

A growing trend of Caribbean flamingos living in resorts, particularly in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, has raised concerns among conservationists. While tourists enjoy close encounters with these iconic birds and share photos on social media, behind the scenes, flamingos face threats to their well-being. Some are captured from the wild and confined to resorts, where they undergo procedures like feather clipping and bone removal, hindering their ability to fly and survive in the wild. Collaborative initiatives such as Rescate Rosado, created by environmentalist Eladio Fernandez, together with Grupo Accion Ecologica, the National Zoo, and the Ministry of Environment, work to rescue and rehabilitate flamingos, returning them to the wild to restore their populations.