Desperate search for zoo’s beloved parrot sparks community hunt

A Fresno zoo‘s beloved parrot Sarge has flown the coop, sparking a community hunt for their missing feathered friend.

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo said that the military macaw took flight from Roeding Park where the zoo is located and never returned.

Zoo officials said they conducted a search within the park and surrounding areas but came up empty-handed. Now, they are calling on local residents to help to bring Sarge back home safely.

The zoo shared several pictures of Sarge, who has vibrant green feathers on her body and a patch of red feathers on her head and tail.

Officials described the parrot as approximately 24 inches long with one toenail on each foot.

Macaws like Sarge make loud high-pitched squawks to signal to others they are near and can usually be found perched high up in trees.

Posts about the lost parrot have surfaced on social media, with community members talking about potential sightings.

“Does Sarge answer to any words or whistles?” one asked.

Officials cautioned residents not to approach Sarge if they see or hear her. Instead, they are asking the public to call the zoo’s 24-hour emergency hotline at 559-286-7403. 

Last year, a year-long search for a beloved hawk from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo came to an end with the raptor flying into the arms of the handlers it recognized, according to KMPH.

Ripley, a star of the Zoo’s Bird Show, fled the coup in April 2024 after an encounter with a pair of aggressive red-tailed hawks.

A year later the eagle was spotted by a bird-watcher in Prather, about 38 miles outside of Fresno in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The bird watcher contacted the zoo and its handlers came and recovered Ripley.