The Colchester Zoo in the U.K. is searching for a missing rainbow lorikeet, a brightly colored parrot that made a cunning escape last weekend. The bird cleverly hitched a ride on a departing visitor, flying off before zookeepers could intervene.
Rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) are medium-sized parrots native to Australia, known for their vibrant plumage of blue, orange, green, and yellow feathers. While both males and females share similar coloring, they are considered a pest in parts of Western Australia where they were introduced in the 1960s. This particular lorikeet’s grand escape occurred on Saturday within the zoo’s walk-in aviary. Visitors can interact with the birds and even offer them nectar. As one visitor was leaving, the lorikeet perched on them and flew away before staff could retrieve it. Despite efforts, including ladders and attempts to lure the bird with nectar, it evaded capture and left the zoo grounds.
Zoo personnel remain hopeful for the lorikeet’s safe return. They’ve encouraged the bird’s return by placing other lorikeets in outdoor enclosures, hoping their calls will attract the escapee. Additionally, they left out nectar and a crate overnight.
As of Wednesday, the lorikeet remained at large. “We put all remaining birds in their outside enclosure so that she could hopefully hear their vocalizations and return, and also left a crate and nectar out overnight, but she didn’t come back,” the zoo stated. “Staff remain on watch today and we will continue to do everything we can to get the lorikeet back safely.” This incident recalls the escape of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl from New York’s Central Park Zoo last February. Flaco remains free, raising the possibility that the Colchester lorikeet could similarly become a social media phenomenon.
