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The pelican previously went missing in 2018. Stock photo. Alamy Stock Photo

Pelican spotted on Wicklow river escaped from Fota Wildlife Park

It’s not the first time he’s done it.

A GREAT WHITE Pelican spotted on the Avoca River this week travelled to the Wicklow beauty spot after escaping from Fota Wildlife Park in Co Cork.

The impressive looking bird was seen near Nineteen Arches Bridge on the Avoca River yesterday.

The sighting ruffled quite a few feathers as it was initially thought to be a wild bird, which would have been the first ever sighting of a wild pelican in Ireland.

However, Fota Wildlife Park confirmed that the bird is a resident of the 100-acre facility.

The bird has lived at the park since 2012 and Sean McKeown, director of the park, said he previously sauntered off to Wexford in 2018.

“We’re a bit embarrassed that he’s gone off again,” McKeown told Morning Ireland on RTÉ.

But it’s good, in one way, that he can just fly off and enjoy a bit of time outside of the park. But we’d prefer if he stayed inside the park.

Boasting a wingspan of around three metres and weighing around 10kg, the Great White Pelican is one of the largest flying birds in the world.

The pelicans can easily travel significant distances and they guzzle down around 1.5kg of fish every day. They are usually found in swamps and shallow lakes around Southeast Europe, Asia and Africa.

McKeown said the pelican’s rambling itch might not be sated by his Wicklow break, but nonetheless they are hopeful that the bird will return to Fota in late September or early October.

“They went off before in 2018 and went right along the south coast over to Wexford and came back. It was two of them, his half-brother is here in the Wildlife Park. So, he’s more likely to return here,” McKeown said.

fota-wildlife-park-fota-ireland Pelicans in Fota Wildlife Park. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The park director said the bird is unlikely to stay in Wexford and if he doesn’t return to Fota he might head for pelican hotspots in other parts of Europe.

He might come back here or head off to the continent, possibly to Greece or Romania, places like that, where there are other Great White Pelicans.

The Wicklow wanderer isn’t the only adventurous animal in Fota Wildlife Park.

Last October another pair of pelicans decided to stretch their wings and see other parts of the world by relocating to the wetlands on Cork harbour. 

In summer 2019 another two of the birds also went on the run. In that instance they didn’t return from their sojourn until five months later. 

Meanwhile, back in 2015 an ape, a penguin and a monkey were among the animals that escaped from the wildlife park over the course of the year.

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    Mute Andy Cheung
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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:00 AM

    Missing files about missing files?

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    Mute Gillian Scully
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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:17 AM

    @Andy Cheung: I know hilarious and I am still giggling.

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:37 AM

    Secondhand information

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 31st 2018, 10:26 AM

    @billy Dorney: beat me to it

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Jan 31st 2018, 6:55 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: just id say

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    Mute pats brandon
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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:26 AM

    This blunder has serious ramificaitons. Skippy’s cover in Afghanistan has been completely blown.

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    Mute Reuben Gray
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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:06 AM

    “Australian cabinet papers are usually not released to the public until two decades after they were created.”

    So is this the normal method of release for “cabinet papers” then?

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    Mute Paul Jennings
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    Jan 31st 2018, 11:10 AM

    Great places for unusual finds, secondhand shops. It took a student innocently rummaging through a drawer or a file stumbling over the findings of Unit 731, a hell-on-earth “medical research” centre in wartime occupied China where victims were subjected to experimental invasive surgery, freezing, burning, electrocution, infection, being spun in centrifuges, placed in pressure cells until they imploded and vivisection. All conducted without anaesthetic, because it might “influence” or “compromise” the accuracy of the results. It’s a wonder governments/organisations don’t cover their (dirty) asses better when disposing of incriminating material.

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Feb 1st 2018, 6:08 AM

    @Paul Jennings: thats hard, never heard until now of such a (bar auchwitz)

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    Mute Liam Doyle
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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:25 AM

    But, but, but… her emails!

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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:20 AM

    Just put them on the Barbie cobber!

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    Mute Tony Gartland
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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:59 AM

    What about putting the bubbles in Beer? Is THAT secret still safe?

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    Jan 31st 2018, 9:10 AM

    To be found under the fiction book shelf

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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    Jan 31st 2018, 5:25 PM

    Quick tell the prime minister. ‘Oi Prime Minister!!!!!’

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