Views: 9

From the port of Toulon, ships depart all summer long full of tourists heading to Menorca. Some end up settling on the island. A few kilometres from that same French coast lies the Camargue delta, where one flamingo has made the opposite journey.

In August 2014, people found a young flamingo, still with greyish plumage, showing signs of exhaustion near Son Saura del Sud. It probably became disoriented during its migratory journey, as it had no injuries. It received care at the Wildlife Recovery Centre, where it stayed for a month to recover.

In September it was released in an ideal location for this species: the Concepció salt flats. This return to freedom was captured in a video, in which the sculptor Maties Quetglas and his family wished to participate to show their support for wildlife care work. The bird was fitted with a ring that allows identification from a distance.

It remained at La Concepció for a few months before departing. In October 2022 it was identified in the large wetland formed in the Camargue by the mouth of the Rhône. This past January it was seen again in the same French area.

Nearly 12 years after being rescued in serious condition, the specimen is now a beautiful pink bird that has been able to fully integrate into nature. This demonstrates the importance that assisting an injured wild animal can sometimes have. In the case of this flamingo, it has clearly known how to make the most of the second chance that life offered it.