Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, May 30, 2018
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The “Flamingo Feed” experience at the Indy Zoo just opened, but it’s already getting rave reviews.
Flamingos are probably best known for their beautiful color and their unique way of communicating.
"They're kind of odd when you look at them," said Megan Keen, one of the zookeepers at the Indy Zoo.
Now at the Indy Zoo you can do much more than just see and hear a flock of flamingos--you can also feed them with your own hands.
"You hold the cup over, and they come and do what they do best, which is filter feeding," said Keen.
The cup is filled with krill, a type of shellfish, that flamingos reportedly really enjoy. Their love for krill may have something to do with the fact that not only does it keep them full, it also keeps these birds looking their very best.
"Their food has what's called carotenoids--carotenoids help them be a nice, bright version of themselves. If they didn't have that pigment and that carotenoid helping them they'd become really dull looking," said Keen.
A lot of visitors ask if carotenoids have the same impact on humans?
"If you eat carrots, or sweet potatoes, or things that have carotenoids, we don't have the ability to turn pink so you can eat them all you want but you don't have the ability to change," said Keen.
You can get even close to the flamingos at the Indy Zoo during what's called the "Flamingo Mingle."
This is when the zookeepers let their flock of flamingos out of their fenced-in living quarters and allow them to mingle with guests.
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