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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Kaohsiung zoo to bring in flamingos to boost breeding
Flamingos socialize at the Kaohsiung Municipal Shoushan Zoo in and undated photograph. Photo: Ko Yu-hao, Taipei Times
By Ko Yu-hao and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Kaohsiung Municipal Shoushan Zoo is planning to send its Chilean flamingos to Taipei Zoo and bring in more flamingos from Thailand, saying the number of flamingos under its care is insufficient to sustain their populations.
The Kaohsiung zoo is nearing its 40th anniversary, and many of its animals are getting old, zoo officials said.
Acting Kaohsiung Mayor Hsu Li-ming （許立明） on Saturday said he has approved the zoo’s plan to redesign its facilities to make them as similar to the animals’ natural habitats as possible.
The zoo also plans to boost interactions with other zoos worldwide, zoo manager Chuang Hsuan-chih （莊絢智） said.
Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau Director Tseng Tzu-wen （曾姿雯） on Saturday left for Thailand to negotiate a deal with Thailand’s Zoological Park Organization regarding the flamingos and the organization’s ongoing efforts in clouded leopard conservation, Chuang said.
Organization director Benjapol Nakprasert has been supportive of Tseng’s proposal and said that the organization is willing to work with Taiwan on animal conservation and medical techniques, Chuang added.
Flamingos have a lifespan of about 50 years and the flamingos at the zoo are 15 years old on average, but it is still better to have a large population of flamingos to improve their chances of breeding, Chuang said, adding that the zoo plans to have about 20 to 30 flamingos.
The seven Chilean flamingos at the zoo have an average age of 30, Chuang said, adding that they might have a better chance of finding mates at Taipei Zoo.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
