A severe drought hits a salt pan in South Africa, threatening thousands of Greater Flamingos
In order to survive, the parents must migrate, leaving behind the chicks that cannot yet fly
A South African bird park embarks on a 2400 km expedition to save abandoned chicks
Dozens of flamingos are rescued by the team and begin to live under human care
Years later, a small group is sent to live in Parque das Aves
In a period of adaptation, some individuals end up dying
Parque das Aves works with experts around the world to ensure the well-being of the flamingos
Encountered at the beginning of the trail, the birds enchant visitors and the local community
Despite being healthy, the colony is small and therefore has little chance of reproducing
The Parque das Aves team studies strategies to stimulate flamingo reproduction
As a first measure, the team installs mirrors to create the illusion for the flamingos that they are within a larger colony
The keepers provide clay for the flamingos, but they choose to build sand nests next to the mirrors
The Parque das Aves veterinarians also develop a diet with greater protein content
The team invests in increasing the number of animals and Chilean Flamingos arrive at Parque das Aves
The innovations pay off and the team celebrates the laying of an egg
Pairs of flamingos quarrel over the egg and, for its safety, itis taken to an incubator in the Baby Bird Room
Like a miracle, Vitoria is born! She is fed a recipe developed in partnership with other zoos
Vitoria is reintegrated into the flock and sparks a wave of reproduction and the hatching of many chicks
The flamingo colony at Parque das Aves grows and reaches 180 individuals
It becomes one of the largest colonies of flamingos under human care in Latin America
Living with the flamingos for more than two decades enchants and brings important lessons
The lived experiences are shared with the scientific community and with other zoos
The knowledge gained from the flamingos also benefits other species
Our success with flamingo reproduction helps to consolidate Parque das Aves as a center for the care and conservation of species
The colony of flamingos says goodbye to Parque das Aves and our community
Nature follows its cycle of life and death, and the surviving flamingos bring us a message of hope
For almost three decades, the flamingos enchanted more than 10 million visitors and taught us many lessons. They will be missed