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For the past few years, Mumbai, India has experienced increasing numbers of flamingos visiting a part of the city. Most seasons record 20,000 to 40,000 of the pink, long-legged visitors. But this year, flamingo counts tally around 120,000.
The Bombay Natural History Society monitor the flamingos who arrive in the late fall and stay until the end of May.
They believe the increased populations flock to Thane Creek because the area is a dumping ground for untreated domestic sewage and industrial waste. The water treatment plant is especially popular with the birds because the waste here triggers the formation of blue-green algae which turns out to be the flamingos’ favorite food.
At some stage in the future the pollution will have to be cleaned up, but in the meantime the residents of India’s largest city and many of its tourists enjoy the site of these visitors.
