Georgia
Wild flamingos spotted in Georgia
GREENWOOD, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – An Upstate family experienced a rare and unexpected sighting during a recent trip to Georgia, making the vacation stand out (and up!) above the rest.
“Now we have another new species on the island which is really cool,” amateur naturalist Joshua Wicker said.
When Joshua Wicker and his family visited St. Simons Island a few weeks ago, they were tickled pink by what they saw.
“They’re up on a big marsh on the inside of the island, and it was just like, ‘Oh there it is!’”
During the trip, Wicker spotted five flamingos hanging out in the water.
“This shouldn’t be happening right now. This is Georgia,” Wicker thought when he first saw them.
St. Simons Island sits just off the coast between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL. It’s also hundreds of miles away from the flamingos’ natural habitat.
“You can find them more frequently on the Caribbean Islands and sometimes on the tip of Florida, so you can find them in North American; but they just don’t come north very often,” John Quinn, Director of Environmental Studies at Furman University, said.
The journey to Georgia for these 4 to 8 pound birds is ‘flamazing!’
“It could have been a strong storm this summer. Maybe they were caught in a current blown around or something like that. They do get blown around by certain weather events,” Quinn added.
Last year, Hurricane Idalia flung flamingos around the East Coast, landing as far north as Pennsylvania. But experts say this is the first time there has been a recorded sighting in Georgia.
“It’s a new experience of type of birds you’ve never seen,” Rey Wicker, 12, said.
Rey Wicker, Joshua Wicker’s daughter, believes no matter how they got here, these birds have a leg up on all the rest.
“Cause they’re pink!” Rey Wicker said with excitement.
If you’re interested in learning more about wildlife in the area, Joshua Wicker offers entertaining and educational videos on his page, Y’all, Be Looking!
Copyright 2024 WHNS. All rights reserved.
CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. — Animal shelters in Northwest Georgia are running out of space, with Catoosa and Walker County unable to take in more animals as the number of strays rises during the summer months.
Catoosa County officials say the county’s animal shelter is maxed out and can no longer accept animals.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The shelter has room for 80 pets but is currently over capacity, limiting how much it can help when large animal rescues happen in nearby areas.
“I can’t speak for everybody, but I can say that working in animal care, summertime is definitely one of the worst times for us and for the animals more,” Abby Lynch, the community outreach and kennel officer for the Catoosa County Animal Shelter says.
Catoosa County officials say summer is when dogs and cats breed because the weather is nice, leading to more strays than usual.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The Walker County Animal Shelter is also dealing with capacity issues.
The shelter says it has brought in 73 animals since the beginning of July.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
“In that same time, we have done 28 adoptions, which 28 adoptions in two weeks sounds great. But when you’re doing the math of 73 animals in and 28 animals going out, not super great,” says Melissa Smith, director of the Walker County Animal Shelter.
Catoosa County has helped neighboring counties during past crises.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
“We’ve assisted Dade County in the past with similar situations, and that’s when really rescues and shelters help each other,” says Dylan McColollum, director of Catoosa County Animal Control.
Dade County only got an animal shelter this year.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
In Georgia, only 61 out of 159 counties have animal shelters, making it more important for shelters to have enough capacity to help their own communities and assist neighboring counties when needed.
“We’re just grateful that we have our own shelter and can take care of our our county and its needs, and we’re happy to assist if other counties need our assistance,” McColollum says.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
Adoptions at the Catoosa County Animal Shelter are currently free because of donors. See available animals here.
They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.
Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.
“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.
The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.
Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.
Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.
The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.
Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.
“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.
Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.
“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.
So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.
-
California3 minutes agoBecerra leads Hilton by wide margin in California governor’s race, new poll finds
-
Colorado9 minutes agoSee where the new Colorado Connector train will stop
-
Connecticut15 minutes agoThis Connecticut barbecue restaurant is ‘beloved’ for a reason.
-
Delaware21 minutes agoDelaware oversight commission debates authority to reject utility rate hikes
-
Florida27 minutes agoFlorida preacher buys VT campus to build Christian college | Fox News Video
-
Georgia33 minutes agoNorthwest Georgia shelters overwhelmed: Catoosa tops 80 pets and Walker adds 73 in July
-
Hawaii39 minutes agoRecords were set for June rainfall – Hawaii Tribune-Herald
-
Idaho45 minutes agoHow the City of Boise tests water samples to ensure the Boise River runs clean
