6 Birds Escape from Oakland Zoo’s Aviary After Tree Falls Into It
This week’s storm caused a tree to fall into the new African Savanna aviary
By Becca Bandit - posted 3/23/2023
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During Tuesday, March 21’s severe storm, Oakland Zoo had several trees fall on Zoo grounds. One of those trees fell onto its newest African Savanna aviary, damaging the mesh and tearing it. Fortunately, no animals were injured, and while most were quickly transported to the Zoo’s veterinary hospital, 6 birds flew through the torn opening and out into the Zoo.
The Zoo’s animal care team has been taking non-stop shifts to retrieve all 6 birds, which have chosen to stay nearby – none have left the Zoo grounds. The Zoo is receiving help from a local bird rescue organization and is confident they’ll be able to recover all 6 soon. None of the birds pose a threat to the public, other Zoo animals, or our native wildlife.
In the meantime, while we repair the damage to the aviary, parts of the African Savanna may be closed to the public. Cheers to the Oakland Zoo and its animal care team for their tireless dedication to the safety and care of these birds.
Thankfully, this morning on March 23, Oakland Zoo posted an update on Facebook, that stated, “Great news: we have successfully recovered 3 superb starlings, who had not strayed far from the damaged African Savanna aviary. They are safe and sound at our veterinary hospital. We have yet to recover a hooded vulture and two pied crows, but will keep you posted as our round-the-clock recovery efforts continue.”
