A juvenile flamingo that escaped from a Cornwall wildlife sanctuary last week appears to be thriving in the wild in northern France, keepers have said.
Frankie fled Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Hayle on 2 November, despite having one wing clipped to prevent full flight. Staff initially launched a search before spotting the bird across the Channel, where she is believed to have settled.
David Woolcock, the park’s curator, said staff were “devastated” by Frankie’s escape but relieved to see her “showed the resilience and skills” to survive in the wild. He added that returning Frankie to the UK would be complicated by health regulations, including avian influenza screening, and it was unlikely French authorities would hold the bird after she had mingled with wild populations.
Flamingos are hardy and capable of long-distance flight, Mr Woolcock noted, and past cases have shown escaped birds can thrive for years, even in winter. Frankie, hatched in July, had been practising wing flaps independently at the park, and staff believe a gust of wind helped her lift off during one of these exercises.
Evidence from sightings in France indicates Frankie is “well-adjusted, well-fed and doing extremely well,” giving keepers hope that the young bird has adapted successfully to life in the wild.
