That deep-pink “American flamingo”-a smaller breed, native only to Mesoamerica and South America-was still considered wild, its species the only member of the Phoenicopteridae family that was on the American Birding Association’s checklist. Its new companion, however, was a real prize. ![]() Though the news of 492’s rediscovery was funny enough to make the national papers -fugitive found!-bird-watchers had little use for the large, pale flamingo. When the birders found boats to take them closer to the pink spots, those spots became bodies: an anomalous and bonded interspecies pair of flamingos, neither of which should be anywhere near Louisiana’s salty shores. Such was the case a decade ago when Internet groups began buzzing about the two spots of pink light that a few birders had seen in the surf. Dozens of breeds of gull, willet, coot, heron, and crane all take their turns in the Gulf, and when occasional rogue birds-called vagrants-arrive in the water, they send birders scrambling for their cameras. The shores of Texas and Louisiana are a bird-watching Mecca, stocked with a carousel of species that visit that water in a yearly rotation. Then, at some point over that winter, 492 flew south, about the time that another, much younger flamingo absconded from its own home in Mexico and headed north. But 492 thrived: still twitchy, still searching. Its companion was nowhere to be found and was thus presumed dead. Later in 2005, bird-watchers spotted 492 in a Wisconsin waterway, all alone and dangerously out of place. And as long as these runaways have no taste for humans, we tend to support their newfound freedom. Perhaps we see in them a covetable wiliness, or maybe the escapees just make our planet-so much of it now cultivated, mapped, and conquered-feel vast again. We humans thrill over the creatures that outsmart us-those that go on the lam and rewild themselves into the free world. Despite this lack of human knowledge, the flamingo known only as 492 would soon join a long list of headline-making runaway animal celebrities, thanks to its bold escape.įamous animal fugitives are legion this past year alone has featured the viral jailbreaks of Inky the Octopus (who squished across an aquarium floor to slip out a drainpipe) Ollie Bobcat, reported missing from her enclosure in the National Zoo last Monday (but found near the bird exhibit Wednesday) and Sunny, a red panda that ghosted from the Virginia Zoo (and is still at large). They hadn’t even been named yet and were only identified by the numbered tags on their right legs their sex was also undetermined. The fugitives, members of an “old world” species called the greater flamingo, had recently arrived in Kansas from a colony in Tanzania. Zookeepers hadn’t properly clipped either flamingo’s wings-a regrettable error, they later confessed-and the birds simply took flight when no one was watching. Habitat: The Gulf Coast (by way of Tanzania, Kansas, Wisconsin, and the Yucatán)Īdditional Notes: On June 27, 2005, a ten-year-old flamingo escaped the confines of its Wichita zoo with another pale-pink inmate. Skills: escape artistry, international travel, standing on one leg Species: Phoenicopterus roseus and Phoenicopterus ruber, respectivelyĭistinguishing Features: yellow ID tags, monogamous tendencies And as we approach closer, the dots start developing long necks and legs.Įvery once in a while they’d walk 10–15 feet apart, but then they’d just come back together and move as one. Jay points the boat in the direction of a couple of large pink dots. ![]() eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by any brand.It is a black eye, to be honest. Content provided for informational purposes only. If you are on a budget, you can check out the used options available on eBay before making a purchase. You can even host a Mother's Day brunch with a flamingo theme to surprise your mom! These statues are made using cement, wood, ceramic, resin, glass, and many other materials, so you can choose the one that suits your liking. If your mom loves spending her time in the garden, you can place a flamingo statue near her favorite spot to make her happy. You can find them in colors like pink, gray, white, and more. Place these statues on the lawn, near your tea table, or on the patio to add a pop of color. eBay has a selection of flamingo statues and lawn ornaments you can pick as decorative accents for her space. Mother's Day is here, and it's the perfect time to show your mom how much you love her! If you want to go beyond the usual candies and cards, you can gift her something that she will cherish for a long time. Flamingo Statues & Lawn Ornaments for Mother's Day
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