Name: Turning the tide in the Caribbean | DW Documentary
Uploaded: 2021-10-28T08:28:14.000Z
Duration: 28 min 27 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

The Caribbean is a region brimming with natural beauty and rich biodiversity.

But this natural paradise is in jeopardy.

and many islands are under threat from rising water levels.

and thick blankets of algae and seaweed are choking the seas.

Dedicated conservationists are fighting the effects of climate change.

This won't be here forever if we don't take care of it.

They are trying to raise awareness about environmental issues.

The message is to make the children fall in love with the wildlife.

Curaçao is known for its beautiful beaches,

But the marine and inland environment is also home to many wild animals.

famous not only in Curaçao, but all over the world.

Odette Doest and Flamingo Bob are inseparable.

when it flew into a hotel window and was seriously injured.

They posted it and within 10 minutes I was in front of them,

like 'Hi, I'm here for the flamingo' and they were like 'wow'.

Bob can no longer spread his left wing properly, and his feet are too stiff.

He would struggle to survive in the wild, so Odette took him in.

I was like 'Oh, he's a flamingo, and then in a split second I thought,

Isn't that right Bob? Doesn't he look like a Bob?

The funny thing is - the name Bob means flamboyant, to be well-known,

And on Thursdays, Bob heads out on his new job, as a wildlife ambassador.

So, this bag is especially for him, not to get hurt. Yay.

Meanwhile Bob is used to the passenger seat.

Even if I walk in somewhere and people do know that I'm coming in with Bob

then I have had the reaction, like — oh, is he real?

So they think I just run around with a fake flamingo next to me,

Bob makes a grand entrance. The children are thrilled.

After some brief introductions, the children get a closer look.

more so than Bob, who by now has clocked up plenty of experience.

Odette spent several months preparing him for visits like these.

None of the children have ever been this close to a flamingo.

the importance of protecting nature and animals.

can spell death for flamingos and other animals.

This is nylon, and once it's in nature it doesn't go away.

A cute flamingo like Bob could get stuck in this.

Odette knows that moments like these can make a difference.

then you have the gateway to their hearts.

they will question their parents, their friends.

You know, they will bring up some discussion —

what are we doing, why are we doing what are we doing,

is this something that needs to be continued or not?

This is what Odette is hoping to prevent.

many of Curaçao's bays are clogged with waste.

Nylon fishing lines and fishing hooks are simply abandoned.

The lucky ones, Odette finds and nurses back to health.

But she also runs a wildlife sanctuary — she's always loved birds.

Odette found her seriously injured near a pool

You know, a flamingo can live up to 40 to 60 years in the wild,

And, if she's a female, reproducing also for the flamingo population.

so that she doesn't forget how to interact with her own species.

They need to not be tame. Rehab is not cuddling.

you help them, and you put them back as soon as you can.

Odette is currently rehabilitating 45 wild animals.

They need medication, cages, and 80kg of food each week.

The wildlife clinic and sanctuary depends on donations.

For Odette, it's a labor of love — but it's exhausting work.

Soon Odette will have even more work on her hands.

a thick mass of sargassum seaweed has drifted to the island's coast.

For sea turtles trapped in the algae, it can be deadly.

A group of conservationists have made it their mission to save them.

Boom! I got this call: Julieta we need you. Come!

and is a volunteer at the sea turtle conservation organization.

She and the team leader Ard are about to head out.

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Turning the tide in the Caribbean | DW Documentary

community

barrier

climate

environment