|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Over a decade ago, a fugitive flamingo escaped a Kansas zoo and has been spotted in Texas.
The bird tagged as number 492, fled the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, in 2005. Recently, a summer intern at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported they saw the escaped in Lavaca Bay. Since the report of 492 leaving the zoo, it has reportedly been seen in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin.
In June 2005, flamingo 492 and an accomplice, tagged as number 347, made their escape from the zoo after staff left the time between clippings too long. While 347 is thought to have died, flamingo 492 has reportedly been spotted in the same area with a Caribbean flamingo companion.
Although the pair initially stayed in the Wichita area, a month later on 4 July – perhaps fittingly, Independence Day – the two fled for good after a bad thunderstorm.
Flamingo 492 is believed to be about 23 years old, according to a news report by CBS News. Flamingos in the wild can live up to about 40 years, so the bird could be seen in the area for years to come.
Written by Yana Lavow
Source:
BBC NEWS: Flamingo that escaped a zoo in 2005 spotted in Texas
Featured Image Courtesy of Kim’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Top Image Courtesy of albertwmui’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License