1 hour ago
2
An incredible video showed what happened when a show bird at a Central Valley California Zoo accidentally ended up inside the cheetah enclosure and barely escaped with its life.
The video was taken at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo over the weekend by a bystander who witnessed the bird flying over the fence and inches away from being gobbled up by the pack of predators.
The clip was posted on TikTok showing the bird stuck in a tree flapping its wings vigorously as it tried to get free. However, waiting just on the other side of the fence was a pack of big cats sitting on the ground who caught the action above their heads and their instincts kicked in once the winged performer broke free.
At one point, the pack of cheetahs locked in and set off chasing the bird who had swooped much too close to the ground before flying higher in an attempt to get away. The video then ends.
The bird was apparently the newest member of show birds at the zoo where it had been undergoing training for its appearance in an upcoming “Winged Wonders Bird Show” when something clearly went wrong, KSEE reported.
In a statement to the outlet, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo confirmed that the bird, a Roseate spoonbill, was able to escape, but was injured in the accident.
Officials said the bird had “veered off course during free-flight training” and ended up above the cheetah enclosure.
“Staff responded to the enclosure and retrieved the bird. It received treatment for a small laceration from the incident and has since returned to the Bird Show team,” according to the zoo.
“All animals continue to be monitored for any changes in health by our Animal Care and Veterinary Teams,” Gia Krupens with Fresno Chaffee Zoo said.
The African cheetahs were also evaluated and have returned to their habitat in the zoo’s African Adventure exhibit.
The 13-acre expansion opened in 2015 and features African elephants, cheetahs, and rhinos. According to the zoo map, the cheetah enclosure is located fairly close to the arena where the popular bird show takes place and where the bird was undergoing training.
The African cheetah is typically about 4 feet in length and incredibly fast, capable of reaching 70 miles per hour to catch their prey. While the Roseate spoonbill it’s not nearly as fast, and only capable of reaching a top speed of 31 miles per hour.
It’s probably fair to say, the bird is clearly lucky to be alive. It is unclear after this wild animal encounter, if the zoo plans to make any changes.
The California Post reached out to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo for further comment.
English (US)