Page 31 - Bookfield Zoo Chicago Annual Report 2024

AMERICAN Arabian SAND CAT
Flamingo Chicks
In September, Solis, a 7-year-old
male sand cat arrived at the Zoo.
Last August, Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Solis looks like a house cat with
became the home of American
huge ears.
flamingos for the first time since
1997. Names were given to several Sand cats rely on their ears to hear
of the nine chicks by the public. The and apprehend prey scurrying deep
named chicks are Fabio and Fiona. underground and to help cool their
bodies by radiating heat into their
American flamingos are one of the
surroundings. They are native to
largest and the most vividly colored
northern Africa, the Arabian
of the six species of flamingo.
Peninsula, and southwest Asia.
The chicks will reach their full pink-
to-crimson coloring—which comes Despite a cuddly appearance, sand
from carotenoid pigments in the food cats are fierce predators. They live in
they eat—when they are 2 to 3 years one of the harshest habitats on the
old. The 5-foot-tall wading birds can planet—the desert—where vegeta-
be found primarily in the Caribbean tion and prey animals are scarce and
and the northern coast of South the temperature varies between a
America. Once native to Florida, searing 124 degrees F in the daytime
they were nearly wiped out there and a frigid -31 degrees F at night.
th
in the early 20 century by plume They can live without drinking water
hunters. Wild American flamingos for several weeks, getting all the
have since been spotted in Florida moisture they need from eating
AMERICAN FLAMINGO and as far north as Wisconsin after other animals. They also specialize
The Swamp
a severe storm in 2023. in hunting down and killing
venomous snakes.

RESIDENT ANIMALS SPECIES INDIVIDUALS

AMPHIBIANS 21 225
BIRDS 114 1,354
FISH 84 568
INVERTEBRATES 78 643
MAMMALS 84 310
REPTILES 110 274
ARABIAN SAND CAT
Desert’s Edge TOTAL 491 3,374

ANNUAL REPORT 2023 27