Frankie the flamingo may have been tickled pink when she escaped her wildlife sanctuary in Cornwall but her keepers are worried by her disappearance.
The four-month-old female flamingo managed to take flight on Sunday, despite having her feathers clipped, from the walled garden at Paradise Park near Hayle.
Staff from the park are searching the surrounding area and have responded to nearby sightings of the young bird, who was last seen at the park at 8am on Sunday.
Sightings were reported near Porthtowan – about 13 miles away by road – on Sunday morning and back in Hayle on Sunday afternoon.
Paradise Park said on social media on Monday that it had not found the young flamingo and searches were continuing.
The park said on Instagram: “Huge thanks to everyone who has shared sightings of Frankie, our missing flamingo, and helped to spread the word by sharing our posts appealing for info.
“We are worried for her and will be continuing the search today so will be very grateful if you let us know if you see her.
“On Sunday morning Frankie managed to take flight from the walled garden at Paradise Park in Hayle despite having clipped feathers. She was seen at the Park at 8am, near Porthtowan at 10.15am, then above Hayle River and Copperhouse Pool, Hayle between 12 and 2pm.”
Frankie hatched on 1 July 2025, the first flamingo chick to hatch on the nest and be reared by its parents at Paradise Park.
The Caribbean flamingo is known for its long legs and neck and distinctive pink plumage. Their legs let them wade in deep water and they filter their food of algae and shrimp out of the mud, which is what gives them their pink colouring. They can live until the age of 40.
