Love Birds Celebrate 40th Christmas Together
(PRWEB UK) 9 December 2013 -- It is a love story that has spanned four decades and now, a couple of love birds from Blackpool Zoo are looking forward to their celebrating 40th Christmas together.
They have lived in the same place after meeting and falling in love in 1973 and have a daughter who still lives at home.
Whilst the lady has never been one to ruffle feathers, the man of the house has always ruled the roost.
The couple, Bermuda and Miami, are Caribbean Flamingos from Blackpool Zoo!
They are currently part of a study being carried out by the zoo and Exeter University to track social interactions between flamingos. Dubbed Facebook for Flamingos, initial results indicate this pair will mate for life.
Johnpaul Houston, Blackpool Zoo’s Senior Bird Keeper, explains: “Not all flamingos mate for life but our records show that this pair have stuck together for the past 40 years. It is highly unlikely that they would repair if one of them were to die.
“Miami has always been our lead flamingo but his advancing years means that he is taking more of a step back now – you could say he is getting ready to retire.
“His daughter, Onandi, is showing signs of being a leader though, so she may take on the family mantel.
“They also spend a lot of time on their own, away from the group, and it reminds me of watching a little old couple just spending time together on Blackpool Promenade.
“As they were some of the first flamingos to settle here at Blackpool Zoo we really do owe a lot of our breeding success to them establishing a harmonious group and initialising breeding behaviours and that will continue long into the future.”
Bermuda and Miami are two of a 22 strong colony of flamingos at Blackpool Zoo but have stuck together and not shown interest in any of the others for 40 years. Named after the countries in which they were born, Bermuda came direct in the summer of 1973, shortly followed by Miami.
It was just a year after Blackpool Zoo opened its doors to the public and they have lived happily together since.
Ends
Picture shows: Bermuda and Miami
More information about Blackpool Zoo:
Blackpool Zoo celebrated its busiest year to date in 2012, which was also its 40th anniversary.
Blackpool Zoo is owned by Parques Reunidos, the second largest European leisure parks operator and a leading world-wide player. The zoo is home to over 1,500 mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates set amidst thirty-two acres of mature woodland and lakes.
The zoo’s signature animals include elephants, giraffes, big cats, gorillas, orang-utans, sea lions, primates, zebras and kangaroos. It is open every day of the year, apart from Christmas Day, from 10am.
For further information please contact:
Paula Holden or Rachael Ireland at ICG on 01772 679383 or email paula(at)icgonline(dot)co(dot)uk or Rachael(at)icgonline(dot)co(dot)uk. Out of hours contact is Paula Holden on 07772268378.
Paula Holden, ICG PR, http://www.icgpr.co.uk, +44 7772268378, [email protected]
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