Above: Video of flamingo couple at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park caring for their new chick.
SAN DIEGO ( FOX 5/KUSI ) — A pair of male flamingos, a same-sex couple, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have successfully welcomed a baby chick together .
The newly minted dads hatched their chick on August 25. After some time bonding time behind the scenes, the family is now out for public viewing at the Escondido park, a San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance spokesperson said.
The three flamingos are all “lesser flamingos,” a species native to sub-Saharan Africa and western India. The youngster’s parents are each about 40 years old.
According to the Wildlife Alliance, the two bonded males began sitting on a nest earlier this year, prompting the Safari Park’s care specialists to give the couple a fake egg to keep them busy and prevent them from interfering with others’ shelters.
The two immediately began caring for the placebo, alternating brooding responsibilities. After a bit of time, the Wildlife Alliance says specialists swapped out the fake egg for a real one for them to foster.