Last spotted in 2019, the flamingoknown as No.
492 for the number on its leg bandrecently made an appearance again.
A local fisherman and wildlife guide reported the sighting on the coast of Texas.
Photo: OndrejProsicky/Depositphotos
So how did an African flamingo end up in Texas?
The story starts in 2003 when No.
492 and 39 of its companions were brought to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas from Tanzania.
All went smoothly at the zoo until one windy day in 2005 when visitors noticed that two flamingosNo.
347had gotten out of their enclosure.
Instead, they’d maintained the birds' flightless status by giving their feathers a yearly trim.
However, as luck would have itat least for the birdsthe staff had missed the signals that No.
347 were due for their yearly trim.
They stayed close to the zoo for a week and then, on July 4, disappeared for good.
They quickly separated, which is strange because flamingos typically like company.
347 headed north to Michigan and likely never survived the winter, as the bird was never seen again.
The flamingo is back!
For many years, this duo made the rounds, though they haven’t been spotted together since 2013.
492who Texas officials nicknamed Pink Floydthe bird keeps making an appearance every few years.
In 2007, zoo officials explained that they wouldn’t be trying to recapture No.
492whose sex is unknown as DNA testing had not been done at the time of its escape.
A zoo spokespersonexplained, There really isnt an easy way to recapture the bird.
And so, No.
492 continues to live a life of freedom and could do so for many years to come.
In the wild, flamingos can live for up to 40 years.
Here’s hoping that the flamingo enjoys its spring in Texas and continues to thrive.
Seventeen years after escaping a Kansas zoo, this African flamingo was spotted in Texas.
Pink Floyd has returned from the dark side of the moon.
The flamingo escaped from a Kansas zoo in 2005 and is often spotted on the#TexasCoast.
