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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Matthew Cantor

Flamingo that fled US zoo 17 years ago spotted alive and well after 700-mile trip

African Flamingos stand in water during Safari at night in Ramat Gan safari near Tel Aviv, Israel.
African Flamingos stand in water during Safari at night in Ramat Gan safari near Tel Aviv, Israel. Photograph: Ariel Schalit/AP

It’s been 17 years since Pink Floyd made a daring escape from a zoo in Kansas. Now the African flamingo – who also goes by No 492 – has been seen living the life of a fugitive 700 miles to the south, in Texas.

The bird fled the Sedgwick county zoo in 2005 after keepers failed to clip its wings, the New York Times reported. The flamingo’s survival in the wild was unlikely – indeed, a buddy who also made it out, No 347, hasn’t been heard from since. But Pink Floyd, as No 492 was nicknamed by Texas officials, was spotted this month by a fishing guide, David Foreman, to his intense surprise.

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