Fresno zoo animal who’d flown away and went missing is found — almost 20 miles away
A free-flying ambassador bird at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo that had gone missing for five days was found Friday roughly 20 miles away.
Sarge — a military macaw, which is a type of large parrot — was spotted all the way in Sanger after flying off and venturing outside of Roeding Park.
A family in Sanger notified the zoo after spotting the green bird that’s about a foot tall on their property.
Zoo staff immediately responded to the call and an animal caretaker called out to the bird.
It was then that the featured creature was confirmed to indeed be Sarge.
The vibrant-colored bird flew back to the team member and eventually was brought back to Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
“Our Zoo teams work to build trust with all our animals every day, and moments like this are a testament to that relationship,” said Ronnie Kerestus, Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s Curator of Animal Outreach.
Kerestus added that the bird showed no visible injuries and “looks great,” but was nonetheless being evaluated by the zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams.
As an ambassador bird, Sarge is a trained animal that interacts with guests during events such as educational programs and shows.
In its natural habitat (Mexico, Central America or South America), a macaw will fly as far as 15 miles each day to feed.
This is the second bird at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo to fly away and return.
In May 2024, a Harris’s hawk named Ripley flew away from a bird show held at the zoo. Fifteen months later, a woman spotted Ripley in Prather, and zoo staff recovered the hawk.
This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Fresno zoo animal who’d flown away and went missing is found — almost 20 miles away."
