The Usefulness of Keeper-Collected Data to Evaluating a Within-Facility Animal Move: A Case Study on a Large Flock of Flamingos

Moving zoo animals to new enclosures is a normal part of zoo management, but little is known about how animals respond to these changes. Understanding how species adjust after a move can help zoos improve animal management and support smoother transitions between enclosures. This study investigated the behaviour and enclosure use of 121 Chilean flamingos at WWT Slimbridge after they moved from an enclosure that may have housed flamingos for up to 60 years into a newly designed environment. Animal care staff photographed the flock once daily before afternoon feeding and recorded the number of birds foraging, moving, preening, or inactive. The presence of wild birds, visitors, and staff was also recorded to assess possible influences on behaviour. Behaviour in the new enclosure was compared with activity levels previously recorded in the former enclosure. Results showed that flamingos spent more time foraging in the first month post-move and were more often seen in their pool. Activity did not differ between the former and new enclosures. This research provides important information on how flamingos respond to a housing change, showing that birds are more explorative of their new environment before settling into a previously documented routine. Flamingo preening showed an association with wild birds (increase preening) and visitor presence (reduced preening). Such human influences should be further investigated to determine whether flamingos change behaviour due to visitors or whether flamingo activity draws more visitors to the exhibit. Ultimately, our research shows that flamingos settle quickly into a new environment and do not display obvious signs of discomfort when a move is well planned and when enclosure modifications consider species’ natural history. We show the usefulness of a quick-and-easy data collection protocol, implemented by animal care staff, to the continual monitoring and evaluation of zoo husbandry.