A Washington zoo’s escaped East African crowned crane was safely returned to the facility after several days on the loose, including a brief time spent “hanging out with a group of great blue herons.”
The Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah announced on social media that the crane, named Alice, escaped from zoo grounds May 21 and made her way to Lake Sammamish State Park.
Alice was spotted the following day on the southeast shore of the Lake Sammamish State Park, heading toward the boat ramp.
“It is believed that the crane might be hanging out with a group of great blue herons around the Lake Sammamish State Park Area,” the zoo said May 22 on social media.
Zoo officials received a call Friday night that Alice had been spotted “at a home near Peregrine Point.”
The crane was located in a local resident’s yard.
“Alice was gently retrieved at 11:57 PM without incident,” a zoo representative told CBS News. “She is now back at the zoo, under the supervision of our staff and veterinarian, and will be closely monitored after her journey. Her bonded partner, Hatter, welcomed her home!”
