At least 39 flamingos have been killed in a single bird strike incident when an Emirates B777-300ER aircraft was landing in Mumbai, India.
The incident occurred in the evening of May 20, 2024, when flight EK 508 arrived at MumMumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) from Dubai International Airport (DXB).
According to Times of India, the B777-330ER, with registration A6-ENT, was descending to make its final approach on the airport’s runway 27 when it crossed paths with a flock of flamingos flying north to Kutch, a known feeding and breeding ground.
Video footage of environmentalists and forest rangers retrieving and counting bodies of killed flamingos has been uploaded and shared on X (formerly Twitter). Initial reports indicated that 36 flamingos were killed. However, the body count increased as more birds were found.
Although the aircraft managed to land safely and no human injuries were reported, the incident sparked concern among environmentalists.
One environmentalist told The Indian Express that the flamingos likely changed its normal course to avoid high power lines in the area, and criticized excessive construction activity in Mumbai.
The lesser flamingo is a protected species of flamingo occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and western India.
Its conservation status is Near Threatened, which means the population is declining.