One of the continent’s last vital breeding grounds for the lesser flamingo has been lost following years of untreated sewage contamination at Kamfers Dam, conservationists report. The disappearance of the iconic pink birds from this artificial reservoir near Kimberley marks a serious blow to the species’ survival prospects in Africa.
Until recently, lesser flamingos bred at four primary sites across Africa: two salt pans in Botswana and Namibia, a soda lake in Tanzania, and Kamfers Dam in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. With the ongoing pollution crisis forcing flamingos to abandon Kamfers Dam, only three breeding habitats remain.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently lists the lesser flamingo as near-threatened, with a global population estimated at 2 to 3 million birds, predominantly in Africa. However, experts warn the species is rapidly declining, and its conservation status is expected to be upgraded to vulnerable due to habitat loss and environmental degradation.
“This is a deeply concerning development,” said conservation biologist Tania Anderson. “Lesser flamingos play an essential role in maintaining wetland ecosystems, and their loss here reflects a broader ecological crisis.”
Kamfers Dam once hosted up to 71,000 flamingos, producing thousands of chicks each breeding season. But recent observations reveal a toxic green sludge and a strong sewage odor have driven the birds away. Local landowners and environmental groups successfully won a court ruling demanding urgent action from the Kimberley municipality.
Legal documents reveal the dam has been subjected to untreated sewage discharges of approximately 36 million liters daily, due to the failure of a vandalized and poorly maintained sewage treatment plant. Repairing the plant is estimated to cost 106 million rand (around \$5.9 million), a sum the municipality currently lacks.
The decline of this breeding site is especially alarming given the flamingos’ highly selective habitat needs. Feeding exclusively on spirulina algae found in alkaline waters, lesser flamingos are confined to only a few suitable sites in Africa and South Asia.
Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer, a wetlands specialist, warned that the sewage crisis at Kamfers Dam is symptomatic of a nationwide problem in South Africa, where many treatment plants are failing. “If these challenges are not addressed urgently, the collapse of wetland ecosystems will accelerate, affecting not only flamingos but entire communities,” she said.
This environmental crisis underlines the urgent need for improved water infrastructure and stronger environmental protections to safeguard Africa’s unique biodiversity and support the resilience of its ecosystems.