Flamingos return to Angola’s mangroves

As first appeared in Radion Benguela in Angola, here. Broadcast by Ivanilson Ramos.

February 5 2023

Children in Benguela region learn about the importance of these stunning migratory birds

Flamingos get their bright pink colour from a specific type of algae that makes up a majority of their diet. Image by Sharisse Bullock.

Children from Angola’s Benguela province are knowledgeable and interested in knowing more about flamingos, the migratory bird which after a long time is back in the mangroves of the city of Lobito on the western coast. Ivanilson Ramos talked to the children about the planet's biodiversity and ecosystems, and their importance for sustaining life on Earth. Various species are endangered due to some human activities that have caused negative impacts on the conservation of these living beings. 

Meanwhile, the coordinator of Mangrove Alert Project’s sanitation and waste management department, Jose Alexandre Palanca, pointed out the importance of migratory birds like flamingos to human life. He also highlighted the usefulness of the coastal ecosystem in balancing the atmosphere and protecting coastlines. Wetlands are the largest natural carbon stores on the planet. To date, nearly 90% of the world's wetlands have been degraded or lost.

Listen to Ivanilson’s full report, in Portuguese, here.

This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organisation Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese. Broadcast stories remain in the original language.