Authorities return 12 Caribbean flamingos to natural habitat in Baní

Santo Domingo.- A total of 12 Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) were released into the Baní Salt Flats, a protected area offering safe conditions and abundant food, where a stable population of the species already exists.

The release represents a positive step for wildlife conservation in the Dominican Republic. All of the birds had been recovered by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources after being found in illegal captivity and were rehabilitated under the Caribbean Flamingo Conservation Project.

 

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The initiative is led by the National Zoological Park, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Grupo Acción Ecológica, and with support from nature photographer and conservationist Eladio Fernández. The Zoological Park’s veterinary clinic played a key role in the birds’ recovery and rehabilitation. Prior to their release, the flamingos were monitored in the area to evaluate their adaptation and behavior.

The flamingos were officially returned to their natural habitat on Tuesday, February 10, at 8:00 a.m.

Authorities reiterated a call to hotels and tourism establishments to voluntarily surrender flamingos kept in captivity, noting that possession of these birds violates Law 64-00, promotes poaching, and harms wild populations and ecosystems.

The public was also encouraged to report any sightings of flamingos outside their natural habitat to the Ministry of Environment’s Green Emergency Line, emphasizing that conservation is a shared responsibility.