A flamingo named Frankie escaped from Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall, and surprised keepers by traveling over 100 miles to France. The adventurous bird, whose wings were clipped to prevent long flights, managed to reach the coast of Brittany. Staff at the sanctuary expressed amazement and relief at seeing Frankie in good health after her unexpected journey.
Frankie made her daring escape on November 2, initially seen near Porthtowan before briefly returning to Hayle. Over a week later, she was spotted in north-west France with minor injuries. Despite the sightings of Greater Flamingos in Southern France resembling Frankie, her clipped wing feathers helped identify her.
Paradise Park acknowledged that while flamingos are capable of flying long distances, they were astonished by Frankie’s feat and pleased to see her thriving. The park mentioned that Frankie had found a suitable estuary for feeding and expressed uncertainty about bringing her back to the UK.
Director Nick Reynolds conceded the slim chances of returning Frankie to the UK and hoped she would integrate with a flamingo colony in south-west France. Reynolds emphasized that this scenario would be the best outcome for Frankie at present.