Surprise sighting: flamingo spotted in Kruger National Park

A recent sighting at South Africa's Kruger National Park has left wildlife enthusiasts astounded and intrigued. Latest Sightings "tinger" Henri Olckers and his travel companion, Rudi Lubbe, were treated to an unusual spectacle on the S100 road near Satara yesterday: a flamingo, a species not commonly seen in this region of the park.

On an otherwise quiet day in the park, Henri and Rudi, hoping to spot some amazing game the park is famed for, decided to explore the S100 late afternoon. This road is well-known among regulars for its big cats, like lions and cheetahs. What they didn't expect to find, however, was a flamingo standing serenely in the middle of the road.

Henri described the initial encounter: "We turned a bend near the end of the road, and there was this bird in the middle of the road. It took us a few seconds to realize it was a flamingo. It just stood there."

Even as they parked their vehicle next to it, the bird remained undisturbed, allowing them to witness its grace and beauty up close. Henri adds, "It didn't mind the car, we parked next to it and it didn't even move away."

Flamingos are typically found near water bodies due to their diet, which consists primarily of algae and invertebrates filtered from the water. Their presence on a road, several kilometers away from the closest dam, Gudzani East, raises interesting questions about the bird's behavior and adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

Rudi added, "I've heard of flamingos in Kruger before, but usually near water. This was an awesome sighting."

This unexpected encounter was one of the highlights of their ten-day trip and serves as a testament to the diversity and unpredictability of the Kruger National Park.

This article first appeared on Latest Sightings.