Flamingo chick escapes from Paignton Zoo sparking mass hunt in race against time

A baby flamingo aged around four months has escaped from Paignton Zoo in Devon to "explore the local area" as people living nearby were urged to keep an eye out for the bird

A young flamingo chick has gone on the run after escaping from a zoo to “explore the local area”.

The bird, which is described as mostly grey with pink feathers, left its home in Paignton Zoo earlier today. The wildlife park in Devon is now appealing for any sightings of the bird to be reported directly to staff so it can be brought home as soon as possible.

A spokesperson for Wild Planet Trust said: “We can confirm one of our flamingo chicks is missing from Paignton Zoo. We take our duty of care very seriously and are committed to the welfare of all our animals.

“As this chick is only 4 months old, we are very keen to reunite it with its family. At this age flamingos are just starting to fledge, testing its wings and experimenting which is what led to this curious chick finding its way out of its exhibit.”

Residents who live nearby the area have been urged to keep a close eye out for the baby bird. The spokesman added: “Flamingos are social species and thrive within our collection, our oldest flamingo is 55 years old, which is why we are keen to bring the chick back to its family. As soon as we were aware we alerted the relevant authorities, searched the local area, particularly those areas with water, and asked local residents to keep a look out.

“At the moment we have had no confirmed sightings and are aware of the young age of the chick and the dangers of the external world. If anyone spots the flamingo chick, who is mostly grey, with pink feathers beginning to appear, please contact us directly on 01803 697500.”

Over the weekend, escaped hamsters caused chaos on a plane when more than 130 ran free on the aircraft which was grounded. Maintenance workers were trying to round up the power cable-eating rodents since the mass escape last Tuesday, but 16 are still on the loose and unaccounted for.

Baggage handlers are said to have discovered the cages the animals were in had been damaged and 132 of them were roaming around the cargo hold when the Airbus 320 touched down in the Azores archipelago capital Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel Island, belonging to Portugal . The search for them started after passengers on board the plane disembarked and their luggage was removed.