Emily Chan
In the modern workplace, sometimes, you are required to take on challenges that aren’t part of your job description. Thanks to one woman’s ability to adapt and think on her feet while on the job, six rare flamingo eggs were rescued.
In her 10 years of flying, Amber, a flight attendant from Alaska Airlines, thought she had seen it all. However, she was thrown for a loop when she was asked to help save six rare Chilean flamingo eggs.
It all started on a flight from Atlanta to Seattle in August 2023. A passenger rang the call button and made an urgent request for assistance in keeping some eggs warm.
At first, Amber was taken aback by the passenger’s strange plea, but upon further inquiry, she realized the situation called for immediate action.
The individual in need was a zoo official transporting rare flamingo eggs from Zoo Atlanta to Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The incubator that the eggs were being kept in for warmth had stopped working, and they needed another way to protect them.
Amber quickly came up with a solution. She filled some rubber gloves with warm water and brought them to the zoo official, who placed them around the eggs. Other passengers seated nearby offered their coats and scarves to provide “extra insulation.”
Throughout the flight, Amber and other crew members continually checked on the flamingo eggs and replaced the gloves as the water cooled down.
The eggs made it off the plane without mishap. A few months later, Amber received a phone call from the Woodland Park Zoo asking her if she wanted to meet the baby flamingoes she had saved.
She agreed, bringing her granddaughter Sunny along for the visit. At the zoo, Amber and Sunny were treated as honored guests and were offered an exclusive tour that included a “meet and greet” with the chicks.
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