By Ulrich Hendricks

UPINGTON, SOUTH AFRICA, Flooded rivers and full pans are attracting flamingos to the arid Kalahari region in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province and the sighting of the birds is causing quite a stir, with many residents seeing them for the first time.

Kalahari residents expressed their excitement at the occurrence. “This is the first time we have ever seen flamingos in the Kalahari. It is so exciting. We have never seen them in our lives here before,” says a resident, Rista Isaacs.

Another resident, Lood Willemse, adds: “It is the very first time we have seen flamingos in the Kalahari. Normally we see them in (the provincial capital) Kimberley and the wetlands.”

Although the area where the flamingos are sighted is called the Green Kalahari, the area is still a desert.

The landscape is normally kilometres upon kilometres of red sand dunes and a few weeks ago, farmers in the area were worried about the effects of the drought on the state of the animals. The fields were dry and there was nothing for them to eat.

However, since the recent rains, farmers are now happy and residents are excited and puzzled by the presence of the flamingos.

SOURCE: SABC