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Go pink to pay £1 entry on Flamingo Lagoon opening day at WWT Slimbridge

Visitors who wear pink will gain entry for just £1 when WWT Slimbridge opens its new Flamingo Lagoon next week.

To celebrate the launch of Flamingo Lagoon visitors who turn up to the Gloucestershire attraction on its launch day Tuesday, 17 July dressed in a pink item of clothing will get in for the heavily discounted price.

The new attraction will showcase the largest flock of flamingos in the UK.

Slimbridge Wetland Centre is the only place in the world which has all six species of flamingo. The new Flamingo Lagoon has been designed for its flock of 250 Greater Flamingos to mimic the habitat they would have in the wild in Africa and to encourage breeding.

As well as being a fantastic habitat for the flock Flamingo Lagoon will also offer visitors a spectacular view from a sunken observatory right next to the lake.

Veronica Chrisp, general manager, said: “The sunken observatory will give a unique view of these incredible birds looking through their legs.
“Flamingos are fantastic birds to watch with their complex social behaviours, interactions and dancing.
“We think the flock will love their new home and hope to have lots of baby flamingos in the years ahead.
“We also know our visitors will be tickled pink with this new attraction. Come and welcome our birds to their new home for just £1 on Tuesday.”

The greater flamingo is the largest of the six species and also has the palest feathers. Flamingos face many threats in the wild increasing the importance of captive populations such as the ones here at WWT Slimbridge.

Aviculturists hope that if the new area stimulates breeding the flock could grow up to as many as 500 in the future.

Staff at Slimbridge have been pulling out all the stops to get the exhibit ready. Special nest mounds had to be built on the new nesting island out of heavy clay mud.

Flamingos in captivity and in the wild see the existence of the mounds as an indication of a good breeding site as it suggests that birds have nested there before. This island should stimulate the flock to breed next year and the birds will take over the man-made nests adding mud to them to raise them further off the ground.