Appeal to bring rare flamingos to Scottish Borders

A bird enthusiast from the Scottish Borders has launched a crowd funding appeal to bring sixty rare and threatened Chilean flamingos to his home in Oxton.

Owen Joiner hopes to build a special hatchery to house the birds, because they need very specific care to grow and thrive.

There are already more than 50 different breeds of bird at Owen's Oxton Pottery and Bird Garden, and he's confident he could look after the flamingos.

Chilean flamingos are classified as threatened, which means their numbers in the wild are falling.

Owen hopes his conservation efforts will help secure the breed, and he's launched a crowdfunding page to raise £4,000 to help rear them.

He says the eggs would be donated for free from zoos in the UK.