Four flamingo chicks hatched at Montgomery Zoo

Zookeepers making intentional changes to zoo flamingo exhibit to create an environment ideal for flamingo mating and breeding


Thrilled! Elated! Giddy! We have Caribbean flamingo chicks. This is the first successful hatching of Caribbean flamingos at the Montgomery Zoo thanks to the unwavering commitment, creativity, and hard work of the dedicated animal care staff. 

The chicks, Kisba (pronounced 'KISS-bah'), Uyuni (pronounced ‘oo-YOO-nee’), Puddles, and July hatched on June 4, June 7, June 24, and July 7 respectively. Their arrival marks a major achievement for the team who led a months-long effort to create the ideal conditions for flamingo nesting. It is a complex and delicate process that required daily, hands-on care.

After extensive research, the animal care team began transforming the flamingo aviary to support natural breeding behaviors in early April. They constructed a mud “wallow” with hand-built retaining walls that required daily maintenance to sustain the muddy structure needed for proper flamingo nesting. By May 7, their efforts paid off: the first eggs were discovered, and by season’s peak, nine nests had been established.

“It was a ton of work. Every day we were out there building up the mud wallow, hosing it down, and just hoping the flamingos would go for it. Some days it felt like we were just covered in mud for nothing. But now, seeing those little chicks wobbling around… it’s amazing. Totally worth seeing our guests enjoy them as much as we do.” says Mesha Jones, head keeper over flamingos. 

Caribbean flamingos typically lay eggs from May through November, but the process is heavily dependent on environmental triggers like rainfall and food availability. The zoo has not had a successful flamingo hatch in over 20 years, making this season’s success especially meaningful.

Each of the four chicks has their own unique story: Kisba, hatched June 4, was the first to arrive. The name means achievement in Maltese, a perfect tribute to the dedication that led to this moment. Kisba taught us so much about flamingo chicks and now walks proudly among the adults, squeaking with excitement and showing off what the team calls “Big Flamingo Energy.”
     Uyuni, named after Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat located in Bolivia and an prominent flamingo breeding site, hatched on June 7. Uyuni was moved from the aviary to the zoo’s veterinary clinic on June 9 after sustaining a scrape to the head. Though the cause is unknown, Uyuni is receiving the necessary care and has been recovering quickly. The plan is for the chick to return to the flock once fully weaned and cleared by our veterinary staff.

Puddles hatched on June 24. As an egg, it was repeatedly pushed from its nest by parents so animal care staff stepped in and moved it into an incubator for safety. After hatching, the chick returned to the aviary and is thriving under “adoptive” flamingo parents. Its name is a playful nod to its muddy beginnings.

Pippi, named after the pipping process that happens while hatching, was the last viable egg to hatch. After being moved to the incubator for safe keeping, it started pipping and was moved back to the nest with mom and dad. After the full 36 hours the hatching process takes, Keeper Summer came in on the July 8 to see our newest chick and aptly named it Pippi. 

While not all of the eggs laid were viable, which is natural during flamingo breeding, the successful hatching of four healthy chicks is a testament to the zoo staff’s incredible determination and dedication.

Visitors to the Montgomery Zoo can currently see Kisba, Puddles, and Pippi exploring the aviary. The goal is for Uyuni to rejoin the flock as soon as possible.   

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Montgomery Zoo creates temporary, rotating exhibit for reptiles, Reptile Junction at Train Depot Breezeway

MONTGOMERY ZOO (Montgomery, AL): Reptile Junction is the new home for our reptiles here at the Montgomery Zoo. We are so excited to be taking this next step for our future Reptile Facility! This temporary exhibit, located near the train station, is the newest way we are able to show off our sneaky snakes, colorful lizards, and more. Money is still being raised for our new facility, and we hope to bring updates to our guests soon. In the meantime, enjoy the new home for all things slithery and scaly.

All of our reptiles rotate on a regular basis, so if you don’t see your favorite today, check back later!

Green Tree Python - Morelia viridis
native to tropical rainforests of New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, and the northeast Cape York Peninsula of Australia

Pancake Tortoise - Malacochersus tornieri
native to southern Kenya, and northern and eastern Tanzania

Pueblan milk snake - Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli
native to the Mexican state of Puebla, as well as other dry, arid desert regions throughout Central Mexico

Smallwood anole – Anolis smallwoodi
native to Cuba

Chuckwalla - Sauromalus ater
native to southern Nevada in the Mojave Desert

Spiny tail lizard – Sceloporus magister
native to southwestern United States

Haitian galliwasp skink - Celestus warren
native to northern Haiti

Solomon Island skink – Corucia zebrata
native only to the Solomon Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean located northeast of Australia

Rough green snake - Opheodrys aestivus
native to eastern United States

Poison dart frogs – Epipedobates anthonyi, Dendrobates leucomelas, Dendrobates auratus
native to warm Central and South American rainforests near streams or ponds

Chinese cave gecko - Goniurosaurus hainanensis
native to the island of Hainan in China

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches - Gromphadorhina portentosa
Native to forests in Madagascar, and island nation off the coast of Africa

Dubia Hissing Roaches- Blaptica dubia
Native to tropical forests of South and Central America

Russian Tortoise- Testudo horsfieldii
Native to flat, open areas of Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and China

Eastern Box Turtle- Terrapene carolina Carolina
Native to the eastern United States from Maine to Florida, and west to the Great Lakes region and Texas.

Eastern Rat Snake - Pantherophis alleghaniensis
Native to fields, woodlands, and farmlands from Connecticut to South Carolina and west to the middle of Kansas and Oklahoma

Halmahera Gecko - Gehyra marginata
Native to the Indonesian island of Halmahera

Annulated Tree Boa – Corallus annulatus
Native to the rainforests of Central America

Posted July 16, 2025.    


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Pygmy hippo birthing suite exhibit features hippo mom and calf

Well spring has sprung, summer is here, flowers are blooming, and we have baby Hippo fever here at the Montgomery Zoo! We would love to introduce the newest kid on the block, baby Anuket!! Anuket is our newest addition to our Pygmy Hippopotamus “Bloat” at the Montgomery Zoo. The proud parents, Lola and Nile, are over the moon to welcome their little bundle of joy. Anuket was born on February 9, 2025, weighing in at a whopping 6.64 kg, and was showing her personality from day one!

This is Lola’s 5^th calf born at the Montgomery Zoo and she is proving to continue be such a good mommy. It is so important for moms to build a relationship with their babies in those first few days so we allowed Lola to have alone time with Anuket and be as hands off as possible. We did do daily weights on Anuket to make sure she was getting plenty of milk and ensure that she was gaining weight (which she was doing VERY well!).

After a couple of weeks we moved “Lola” and “Anuket” over to our hippo nursery in our South America area. She made her official debut on March 20^th. Since then Lola has been teaching Anuket the ins and outs of “How to be a Hippo”:

• She took her first dip in a “big kid” pool to learn how to swim
• She learned how to open her mouth REALLY big to show her zookeepers where to deposit her favorite treats (she’s still nursing and learning how to eat big girl foods so right now that’s just small amounts of freshly picked green grass and leafy alfalfa hay pieces)
• Most importantly she learned where the best mud wallows are to lay in the sun to take those morning (and afternoon) naps!

Pygmy Hippopotamuses are an endangered species and the Montgomery Zoo is so thrilled to be able to house this species. We currently house 6 Pygmy hippos 4 adults (two males and two females), 1 juvenile female, and baby Anuket. The Montgomery Zoo is involved in a breeding program to help increase the species’ overall population numbers, and have successfully had 8 calves between our two breeding pairs. We are excited to continue to work with and raise awareness for this species.

Who doesn’t love a baby?! So next time you are out at the zoo make sure you swing by and say “HI” to Lola and baby Anuket in our South American Realm! We look forward to seeing you soon!