JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A pair of baby flamingos made their public debut at Jacksonville Zoo last weekend.
One of the long-legged, fuzzy-feathered chicks is being raised by its parents and the other is being raised by zookeepers after its parents rejected it.
In one video, zookeepers show off the chick being raised by humans and getting around-the-clock feedings. The little bird is seen stretching its pink legs and flapping its little wings. In another video, the other chick is seen hanging out with its parents in the Greater flamingo yard.
The two were born June 21 and June 27, respectively, and are both Greater flamingos, which are found in warm, watery areas around the world.
The two are the first the zoo has hatched after receiving a new flock of 36 flamingos from ZooTampa at Lowry Park in 2016.
The adorable fuzzballs are born with gray feathers and later get the pink pigment from their food.
In the most difficult poll imaginable, the zoo is hosting a “cute-off” competition between the flamingo chicks and its new Magellanic penguin chicks.
“We need your help deciding which one is cuter,” the zoo’s post said. “Is it the dark floofiness of the penguins with their teeny flippers or the downy-soft fuzzballs with awkward legs that will one day be graceful flamingos?”
Vote for your favorite on the zoo’s Facebook page.
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