**Flamingos Rescued from Smuggling Operation in Tunisia**

**The Tunisian Customs Authority foiled an attempt to illegally export flamingos, highlighting the ongoing battle against wildlife crime.**

The Tunisian Customs Authority reported a significant wildlife rescue on Sunday, apprehending smugglers attempting to traffic ten endangered flamingos near the Algerian border. The birds were found cramped in crates within a lorry, presenting a grim picture of their condition with wings, legs, and torsos bound.

Following their rescue, officials declared that the flamingos have been successfully returned to their natural environment, underscoring the country’s dedication to the preservation of this threatened species. However, the fate of the smugglers has not been revealed, raising questions about enforcement against wildlife trafficking.

Flamingos are protected by Tunisian law, making hunting and smuggling of these birds illegal. In addition to poaching threats, flamingos face challenges such as habitat destruction from pollution and the adverse impacts of climate change, which contribute to the degradation of wetlands crucial for their survival. The greater flamingo, known scientifically as Phoenicopterus roseus, is recognized as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Despite these challenges, recent data suggests a hopeful trend, with population estimates indicating that there are now at least half a million flamingos thriving in the wild. North Africa, including popular bird-watching locations like Djerba island and Korba Lagoon in Tunisia, serves as an important migratory stopover for these iconic birds, which are also found in Europe, West Africa, and parts of Asia.