Greater
"Greater" in April 2013
Other name(s)Flamingo One
Flamingo 1
SpeciesPhoenicopterus roseus
SexUndetermined
HatchedUnknown
DiedJanuary 30, 2014 (estimated age 83–95)
Adelaide Zoo, Adelaide, Australia

Greater, also known as Flamingo One and Flamingo 1 (died January 30, 2014), was the world's oldest greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), residing at the Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, Australia. It was at least 83 years old, having arrived at the zoo from either Cairo or Hamburg (records are unclear)[1] in either 1933, 1930, 1925, or 1919 (the dates of the last four importations of greater flamingos to the Adelaide Zoo)[2] at which point it was already a full-grown adult.[3] Greater's sex was never determined.[4]

On October 29, 2008,[5] Greater was attacked and beaten by four teenagers. The almost blind bird was badly injured, but soon recovered.[6] Its assailants were arrested, and initially charged with ill-treatment of an animal;[7] however, all charges were later dropped and nobody was prosecuted.[8]

In April 2013, zoo personnel noticed that Greater was beginning to show signs of arthritis, which they attempted to treat with medication.[9] However, in late January 2014, Greater's health deteriorated even further, and the decision was made to euthanize Greater.[9] At the time of its death, Greater was the only greater flamingo in captivity in Australia;[2] there is a moratorium on the importation of flamingos into Australia.[4]

Greater's remains were subsequently donated to the South Australian Museum to be taxidermied; however, due to the technical challenges of preserving the physical traits of such an old flamingo, and a shortage of sufficiently flamingo-like birds on which to practice new techniques, this was not accomplished for several years.[10] Greater finally went on display at the Museum in 2021, alongside the remains of "Chile", the oldest Chilean flamingo on record, who had lived alongside Greater at the Adelaide Zoo for over thirty years.[11][12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Flamingos at Adelaide Zoo Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, by Vaughan Wilson; at Conservation Ark / Zoos South Australia; published 28 October 2008; retrieved 1 February 2014
  2. 1 2 Adelaide Zoo -- Our Animals -- Animals -- Greater Flamingo Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, at the Adelaide Zoo; published no later than September 16, 2009 (date of earliest version on archive.org); retrieved February 1, 2014
  3. ↑ Message From a 50-Year-Old Flamingo, by Steve Boyes; at National Geographic; published October 26, 2013; retrieved February 1, 2014
  4. 1 2 World's oldest flamingo dies aged 83 at Adelaide Zoo, at the Guardian; by the Australian Associated Press; published 31 January 2014; retrieved 1 February 2014
  5. ↑ Teens attack blind flamingo at Adelaide zoo Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, by the Australian Associated Press; from the Otago Daily Times; published October 30, 2008; retrieved February 1, 2014
  6. ↑ World's oldest flamingo, Greater, dies at Adelaide Zoo, at The Australian; published January 31, 2014; retrieved February 1, 2014
  7. ↑ Blind flamingo attacked at Australian zoo, by Bonnie Malkin; in The Daily Telegraph; published October 30, 2008; retrieved February 1, 2014
  8. ↑ "Adelaide Zoo flamingo bashing charges dropped in Youth Court". NewsComAu. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  9. 1 2 Adelaide Zoo Celebrates Life of Iconic Flamingo Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, by Alison Hassel; at Conservation Ark / Zoos South Australia; published January 30, 2014; retrieved February 1, 2014
  10. ↑ Famous flamingo on hold in freezer, by Tim Williams; in The Advertiser (via ProQuest); published January 10, 2016; retrieved November 13, 2021
  11. ↑ Strike me pink: Australia's last two flamingos resurrected as gay emblems, by Tory Shepherd, at The Guardian; published November 12, 2021; retrieved November 13, 2021
  12. ↑ The last flamingo, at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; published November 12, 2018; retrieved November 13, 2021
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