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PR03/06 - 14th February 2006

ESCAPED BIRD RECAPTURED

‘HOUDINI’ THE TOURACO RETURNS TO PAULTONS

Keepers at Paultons Park feared they had seen the last of a colourful Violet Touraco when it escaped from its aviary in August 2005 but, miraculously, the bird has now been found alive and well and is now back home at Paultons Park.
“We suspect he [the Touraco] escaped through a small hole in the netting, probably where a squirrel had gnawed through. He then completely vanished for 4 weeks until we received a call from a concerned resident of Wellow saying there was a ‘strange looking bird’ in their garden!” explains Paultons Livestock Manager, Geoff Masson. “At first we were told the bird was a Toucan so suspected it wasn’t one of ours, but then we managed to obtain a photograph which proved it was indeed our missing Touraco.”

The Touraco had survived thanks to kind-hearted residents feeding the bird with bowls of fruit and due to the plentiful supply of berries and fruits on nearby trees and shrubs such as Mountain Ash. However, after 4 weeks the bird vanished once again and it was not until the week before Christmas when another sighting was reported.

“This time we had a call from The Vine [a nearby public house] saying their customers had seen a rather odd looking bird in the beer garden! We set up a feed station but the Touraco went missing yet again. After Christmas we received a call from a resident living near to Paultons Garden Centre telling us they were feeding the bird in their garden.  They started putting food out, gradually enticing the bird nearer and nearer to a trap until, finally, I was called to the house last Saturday at 8.45am when we finally managed to re-capture it.”

The Touraco is now back at Paultons where relieved staff have named him ‘Houdini’.

“He seems to be in remarkably good health considering what he has been through” remarked Geoff, “he has a few feathers missing and a slight limp, probably where a bird of prey may have tried to attack him, but he is certainly one lucky bird."

The Violet Touraco is native to the African jungle and is part of a European Breeding Project aimed at boosting its falling numbers. Houdini was bred in capitivity and has been at Paultons Park for the last 5 years. It is hoped Houdini will be back on display at Paultons sometime in the near future, although not when the Park opens for the 2006 season on Saturday 11th February.

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415 words

For further information please contact:
Rob Griffiths - Marketing Manager
Paultons Park Limited, Ower, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 6AL.
Telephone: 023 8081 4442 Fax: 023 8081 3025

Editors Notes: Paultons Park is just off exit 2 of the M27, near Romsey in Hampshire. Open 10am daily from 3rd March 2005– 29th October 2006
Additional Images: Available via email, CD or prints upon request.

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