Every few weeks, Doest takes Bob for an early morning swim in the Caribbean Sea. Swimming is both therapeutic for Bob’s chronic foot condition and stimulating for him as a captive animal.
Bob, swimming in the Caribbean, was part of a transient population of between 400 and 600 American flamingos that forage on Curaçao’s salt flats. The birds breed in neighboring Bonaire and Venezuela and use Curaçao as a migration hub.
Children follow Bob after he and Doest have had a swim. Curaçao is a popular tourism destination for the Dutch, so Doest and Bob also educate tourists about how to be responsible travelers, such as minimizing waste and keeping a distance from wildlife.
Bob (centre) hangs out with the other two permanent flamingo residents in their backyard pool. Both have amputated wings, which makes it impossible for them to return to the wild.
Bob pauses on a walk through a historic quarter of Willemstad. He and Doest travel all over the island for educational events—he’s a local celebrity now.