NO WONDER this child is clamouring to touch Bob the tame flamingo. He has become a local superstar on the Caribbean island of Cura莽ao, after injuring himself by flying into a window of the island鈥檚 Hilton Hotel and collapsing unconscious by its swimming pool.
Odette Doest, a local vet, treated Bob for concussion, and has since kept him at a wildlife rehabilitation centre she runs as part of her charity, Fundashon Dier en Onderwijs Cariben.
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Since his crash, Bob鈥檚 life has been transformed and he is now an ambassador for the charity. Doest takes him into schools to meet children and reinforce her message about the importance of protecting the island鈥檚 wildlife and the fragile habitats on which it depends. The island supports at least three large populations of wild flamingos.
The main picture shows Bob鈥檚 visit earlier this month to the A.E. Goilo School in Willemstad, Cura莽ao鈥檚 capital city. The photo below shows Bob en route to one of his many celebrity engagements.
Photographer
Jasper Doest
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淪tar attraction鈥�
