Frankie the Flamingo Flies from Cornwall to France After Great Escape

A surprising journey across the Channel

Paradise Park in Hayle has confirmed that missing flamingo Frankie, who disappeared from the wildlife sanctuary on the morning of Sunday 2nd November, has been found safe and well in France.

The young flamingo took off sometime between 8am and 8:20am, sparking an immediate search by park staff. A confirmed video sighting later that morning showed Frankie flying high over the Hayle Estuary, but despite multiple reports in the days that followed, none could be verified. The presence of a White Stork in the area also added confusion to the search.

It has now been confirmed that by 9:49am on Monday 3rd November, Frankie had reached Île Aganton on the north coast of France. The sighting was logged on the French national citizen science portal for nature. Further photographs taken on 9th November showed Frankie looking fit and healthy at Plage de Keremma.

A determined search

Between 2nd and 9th November, park staff searched day and night in all weather conditions, following up on every possible lead. When the confirmed French sightings came to light, the team realised that bringing Frankie home would be extremely difficult.

Curator David Woolcock said that while it was never the park’s intention for Frankie to end up in the wild, there have been similar cases of flamingos surviving for many years in Europe, even through winter. “We are confident that her movements will be observed and logged in France by citizen science members and feel relieved to know that she has shown the resilience and skills that will serve her well as a ‘wild’ flamingo,” he said.

Frankie’s parents and the rest of the flamingo flock at Paradise Park remain well.

How Frankie managed to fly

Frankie’s right wing had been clipped, which involves shortening feathers on one wing so the bird cannot take off easily. However, as her feathers grew back, trimming could not be done while they were still developing. This meant she regained enough flight power during her exercise routines to be lifted by a gust of wind and take flight.

Can Frankie survive in the wild?

According to the park, flamingos are hardy birds capable of flying hundreds of miles. Frankie was raised by her parents, was feeding independently, and was in excellent condition before she left. The images from France show her well-fed and settled.

Why Frankie won’t be brought back

Although the park would love to see Frankie return, there are several obstacles. She would first have to be caught, which would be difficult since she is not tame and is wary of humans. If caught, she would have to be housed at a French facility for health screening before any return to the UK. The park also raised concerns about avian influenza, which remains a threat to wild birds.

A legacy of conservation

While Frankie’s adventure was unplanned, Paradise Park has a long history of supporting bird conservation and reintroduction efforts. These include:

• Over 60 Red-billed Choughs bred for reintroduction projects in Jersey and Kent, where the species had been locally extinct for up to 200 years. Operation Chough

• 10 Blue-throated Macaws sent to Bolivia, where fewer than 400 remain in the wild. Blue-throated Macaws

• 40 Mitchell’s Lorikeets sent to Bali, where fewer than four birds survive in the wild. Mitchell’s Lorikeets

Frankie’s story has captured attention both locally and nationally, and while her escape was unexpected, she now appears to be thriving on the French coast.

📷Photo Credit: Mickaël Belliot. Taken on the 10th November 2025 at Goulven, near Plage de Keremma, Brittany, France.