In an astonishing tale of avian determination, a young flamingo named Frankie has been granted her freedom after completing an unexpected 120-mile journey across the English Channel from Cornwall to France.
The Great Escape
The adventure began on 2 November when Frankie, a four-month-old flamingo residing at Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall, managed to take flight. This was particularly surprising to her keepers as her feathers had been clipped, a standard procedure to inhibit flight in captive birds.
Despite this precaution, Frankie proved to be an exceptional case. The zoo explained that as Frankie was still developing, her feathers were continually growing. While wing clipping can prevent a bird from taking off, it doesn't necessarily stop them from flying once they are already airborne.
A Transchannel Voyage
The story took an incredible turn when sightings began to emerge of a lone flamingo more than 100 miles away in Brittany, France. Paradise Park has now confirmed that these reports were indeed of their adventurous young bird.
Frankie successfully completed the 120-mile flight over the Channel, eventually being spotted and photographed on the coast at Plage de Keremma. Her transchannel voyage has captivated bird enthusiasts and the public alike.
The Decision for Freedom
In a heartfelt update, David Woolcock, curator at Paradise Park, announced that the team has made the difficult decision not to attempt to recapture Frankie and bring her home.
Woolcock cited several reasons for this choice. Firstly, catching Frankie would now be an extremely challenging task. Secondly, if she were caught, she would require extensive health screening. Crucially, she now poses a potential risk as she may have come into contact with wild birds carrying avian influenza.
Addressing concerns for her welfare, Woolcock expressed confidence in Frankie's abilities. "She was feeding independently and was a supremely fit young bird before she left the park," he said. "All the evidence that we have seen of her in France shows a well-adjusted, well-fed bird doing extremely well."
The zoo takes comfort in knowing that there are documented cases of other flamingos thriving in the wild across Europe, even during winter months. They also feel reassured that Frankie's movements will likely be tracked and logged by citizen scientists in France.
Back at Paradise Park, Frankie's parents and the rest of the flamingo flock are reported to be doing well, as their most adventurous member starts her new life of freedom on the French coast.
