In Oum El Bouaghi, in eastern Algeria, a group of volunteers saved nearly 300 flamingo chicks by transporting them to a wetland. This operation took place after the salt lake where these birds were located, in this case, Lake Tinsilt, dried up. It made the front page of the international press after the publication of a dispatch by the AFP agency.
The heat waves that many regions of Algeria have experienced this month of July have not been without impact. The lack of rainfall and the scorching temperatures have caused a real ecological disaster at Lake Tinsilt, in Oum El Bouaghi.
Volunteers save dozens of flamingo chicks in Oum El Bouaghi
Every year, thousands of flamingos migrate to Lake Tinsilt, one of Algeria’s largest wetlands, covering an area of more than 20 km². But this year, the lake has shrunk significantly, forcing adult flamingos to flee, leaving behind unhatched eggs or chicks.
On July 12, wildlife photographer Tarek Gouadjelia sounded the alarm. “The drought has wiped out a large number of flamingo chicks in Tinselt,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
After the lake level dropped, the helpless flamingo chicks became easy prey for wolves and stray dogs. Soon, groups of volunteers from the region responded to the call and decided to transport the rescued chicks from Tinsilt to another wetland, namely Lake Mahidiya, near Aïn M’lila.
Volunteers used their vehicles to transport the birds over a distance of about fifty kilometers. In total, the operation, which lasted several days, saved 283 flamingos by releasing them into Lake Mahidiya.
“A large number of flamingo chicks have died due to drought”
Unfortunately, a large number of flamingos could not be saved. “Ecological disaster: a large number of flamingo chicks died due to the drought of Lake Tinselt. Dogs, wolves, foxes, and hyenas found their way into the area,” reported local radio in Oum El Bouaghi.
In videos shared on social media, the group of volunteers captured several stages of the birds’ moving process, such as these images inside a refrigerated truck, or a stop at a gas station, when the birds were put in a puddle of water to cool off.
Although the group of volunteers was not able to save all the birds, they congratulated themselves on the success of the operation. “The operation was successful,” one of the volunteers told AFP. According to him, after the chicks arrived in their new habitat, some adult birds joined them. “The parents found their young in a beautiful scene,” he marveled.
