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The Philadelphia Zoo is getting more flamingos. Like, a lot more.

Fourteen African flamingos will be added to the zoo's flamboyance.

Fourteen African flamingoes, a species that hasn’t resided at the Zoo in a half-century, will join an existing flamboyance of 10 Caribbean flamingoes at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Fourteen African flamingoes, a species that hasn’t resided at the Zoo in a half-century, will join an existing flamboyance of 10 Caribbean flamingoes at the Philadelphia Zoo.Read moreCourtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo

The Philadelphia Zoo is more than doubling its menagerie of flamingos as it prepares to open a new walk-through exhibit.

The new exhibit, known as Flamingo Cove, opened to zoo members Wednesday, with a wider opening planned for Sunday morning. Visitors can walk through the enclosure along a fenced path and see pink-hued fowl wandering an artificial plain on either side, according to a zoo spokesperson. Nearby stands will serve flamingo-themed drinks.

A group of 14 African flamingos, a species that has not resided at the zoo in a half-century, will join an existing flamboyance of 10 Caribbean flamingos.

The zoo’s history with flamingos dates back to the Caribbean flock’s arrival more than 125 years ago. It was at the Philadelphia Zoo that caretakers in 1948 pioneered the use of carrot juice as a way to maintain flamingos’ bright, pinkish color.

The zoo renovated a section of a 127-year-old aviary to serve as part of the flamingos’ habitat: There is a new, shallow pool for them to take dips in, and nesting islands for breeding, the statement said.

Ongoing construction on the Bear Country exhibit moved the flamingos out of their original perch in a section known as Bird Valley. Flamingo Cove is the latest in a series of recent changes to the Philadelphia Zoo’s layout, including the bear habitat’s renovations and updates to the zoo’s botanical gardens.