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On Monday, the zoo's Bird House staff made the gruesome discovery and spotted the fox in the outdoor flamingo enclosure before it escaped. Three additional flamingos were injured and treated by on-site veterinarians, the institute said.
The 49 surviving flamingos were moved indoors to their barn. The ducks were also moved into a covered and secured outdoor enclosure.
"This is a heartbreaking loss for us and everyone who cares about our animals," said Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars director with the zoo. "The barrier we used passed inspection and is used by other accredited zoos across the country. Our focus now is on the well-being of the remaining flock and fortifying our habitats."
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The zoo is investigating the incident and has reinforced metal mesh surrounding the flamingo yard that was last replaced in 2017, according to the zoo.
Live traps have been set around the outdoor yard to catch any predators as a precautionary action to protect the enclosed animals.
Digital camera traps with an infrared sensor triggered by movement have been set up to photograph overnight activity.
The zoo's Bird House and surrounding plateau are undergoing a major renovation and are closed to the public. The zoo's flamingo flock lives primarily outdoors in a 9,750-square-foot yard with a heated pool and barn, says the institute.
The flamingo exhibit has been at the zoo since the 1970s as currently designed and this is the first predator mesh breach.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species lists both the American flamingo and Northern pintail duck as species of least concern. American, or Caribbean, flamingos are distributed throughout the Caribbean Islands and along the northern coast of South America and have a lifespan of about 40-60 years. While flamingos are an abundant bird species, they are threatened byhabitat loss due to mineral mining and human disturbance.About 80,000-90,000 American flamingos, concentrated in four major breeding colonies, remain in the wild.
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