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A Flamingo Spotted These Hungry Ducklings and Immediately Stepped Into 'Mom Mode'

By Kate McDaniel Parade Pets

Updated May 13, 2026 12:02 PM

Flamingos already look like they were designed by somebody who wanted to make birds a little extra. They're tall, pink, dramatic, and somehow always give the impression that they know more than the rest of us. So the second one decides to start feeding ducklings like an overqualified daycare worker, the whole thing somehow feels both impossible and exactly right.

And yes, as a New Mexican, I am absolutely proud to see the Albuquerque Zoo going viral for this.

@lavelle_maslow
I have a love/hate relationship with my dog cam If I check my cameras and see my bulldog crying like this, I'm immediately going home #animals #lavellemaslow #dogmom #pets #fyp #fypシ #viral #englishbulldog #dogs #doglover #bulldogs #bulldog #sad
original sound - Lavelle & His Mama

There's never been a more @lavelle_maslow clip than this, because it's just like the throwback to what garnered him internet fame in the first place.

The only thing he started adding over recent months is the emotionally-charged, sad cries, which are enough to convince anyone to give him all their cash.

Talk about a master manipulator! He's just so precious, I'd get in my car so fast!

For a long time now, the English Bulldog has been "making calls" to try to get Mom to come home. Technically, he's just figured out how to trigger the video alert, but since he gets a response, he now knows to do it every time he wants attention and it's *chef's kiss*.

@lavelle_maslow
My bulldog keeps calling us through the 2-way camera & I can't stop laughing #bulldogs #lavellemaslow #pets #funny #viral #englishbulldog #dog
Lonely - Akon

Since Lavelle's been at the video game, he's captivated nearly 100k TikTok followers with each and every new video.

The sassy boy isn't trying to be anyone other than himself, even when it means giving attitude, or ignoring Mom whenever he feels like it.

Even with his dramatic meltdowns, he's a cutie.

The boy's had the power of suggestion down as long as he's been alive. One look into those sad-looking puppy dog eyes and you'd be running home to give him everything he wants, guaranteed.

It's a real talent to be this adorable. Or is it a crime? Either way, how could anyone not do as he suggests?

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A post shared by Lavelle & His Mama (@lavelle_maslow)

That doesn't make it less magical.

If anything, it makes it better.

Because now it's not just, "Wow, a flamingo fed some ducklings." It's, "Wow, this flamingo had enough caregiving instinct on board to notice hungry babies and respond." And that is the kind of thing that sticks with people.

A lot of viral animal videos are funny for 10 seconds and then gone. This one lingers because it feels like a tiny reminder that the world still contains some deeply weird and wonderful softness.

Why This Moment Is So Rare

Flamingos normally feed flamingo chicks, not ducklings. Smithsonian's National Zoo explains that flamingo parents produce crop milk specifically for their own young, and flamingo chicks usually move into group crèches with other flamingo chicks as they grow. That makes cross-species feeding like this genuinely uncommon, even if the caregiving impulse itself isn't surprising.

So yes, this is rare. Not because flamingos are cold or indifferent, but because animal parenting usually stays within species. That's why this moment hit so hard.

Albuquerque really sent out one flamingo, one village, and one very strong argument for being emotional before lunch.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 11:55 AM.

Why This Moment Is So Rare

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