A baby flamingo which escaped a Zoo in Devon is now believed to have died after a desperate search.
Paignton Zoo has now issued a sad statement conceding in spite of the team’s best efforts, they are now presuming the poor chick is no longer alive following zero sightings.
Earlier in the week, zookeepers announced the escape of the bird, which was four months old and said the little creature was ‘curious’ and wanted to explore the area.
They asked everybody to keep a lookout in the hope that it could be found and returned as soon as possible because it would be too dangerous on the outside world.
Now, the update reads: “On Sunday, we noticed that one of our flamingo chicks had gone missing. We immediately put out an appeal to the public to help us locate the chick, and our dedicated staff members did a brilliant job in trying to relocate the chick, following our well-rehearsed procedures.
(Image: Wild Planet Trust / SWNS)
“Unfortunately, despite the community’s efforts, we have not had any further sightings since Sunday evening. Given the time that has passed and the circumstances, we now believe that the chick may no longer be alive.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone in the community for their support and assistance during this time. We can confirm that all of our other flamingos and their chicks are accounted for, and we are taking additional measures to ensure that this does not happen again.”
Flamingos can live to a ripe old age, with the zoo’s oldest winged resident being an ancient 55 years old.