Escaped Kansas Zoo Animal Went Missing 17 Years Ago, Shows Up on Texas Coast
People are always on the lookout for unusual creatures in nature. There are people and groups devoted to tracking rare birds, white deer and Bigfoot — but one particular elusive creature was recently spotted on the Texas coast.
On March 10, someone spotted the lone creature, standing out rather obviously against the seagulls and other seaside birds. It had gone missing from a Kansas zoo 17 years ago, but there it was, in all its long-legged glory.
It was “Pink Floyd,” a flamingo. It and another flamingo escaped from Sedgwick County Zoo during a storm in 2005 because their wings had not been clipped. From time to time, this one shows up and makes a splash, though the other one disappeared.
“Looks like Pink Floyd has returned from the ‘dark side the of moon’!” the Coastal Fisheries – Texas Parks and Wildlife posted. “Spotted at Rhodes Point in Cox Bay near Port Lavaca by David Foreman on March 10.
“Pink Floyd is a local Texas flamingo that escaped a Kansas zoo in 2005 and has been seen on the Texas coast for several years.”
According to CBS News, the bird is estimated to be around 25 years old, and it might be on the lam for a while as they can live to be 50 years old.
Apparently the zoo has given it up for lost and is not interesting in trying to capture it. They said that capturing the bird without disturbing other wildlife would be incredibly difficult, and so for now, the bird has its freedom.
In the comments, locals piped up and shared their own stories and photos documenting sightings of the exotic bird.
Texas Parks and Wildlife also posted about Pink Floyd back in 2018, before it got its new nickname.
“What’s pink and white and likes to spend time in Texas?” the post read. “An escaped African flamingo from a Kansas zoo!
“Coastal Fisheries staff recently helped with the Texas colonial waterbird survey near Lavaca Bay and spotted this legendary flamingo.
“Nicknamed No. 492 for its leg band, this flamingo escaped a Kansas Zoo in 2005 and has been living its ‘bird’ life ever since. A treat for avid bird watchers, it makes an appearance every few years in Texas.”
They’ve been able to track the bird because of its leg band, as the number is visible in photos and videos. CBS reported the bird has also spent time in Louisiana and Wisconsin.
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