Exotic visitorlands in Skipton (From Craven Herald)

Exotic visitorlands in Skipton

5:58am Friday 15th September 2006

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Bird lovers are flummoxed about how an exotic visitor, usually at home in the high mountains of Chile, found itself stuck in the mudflats of Craven.

The Puna ibis was rescued from a sewage settlement pool near Skipton bypass after firefighters were alerted by bird watchers.

It is now being cared for by RSPCA officers in Bradford, where it has been checked over by a vet.

But how it arrived in Craven and became stuck in the mud remains a mystery.

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Suggestions that the bird might have got blown off course have been dismissed because it is not migratory.

So experts are guessing it might have escaped from a sanctuary or a private collection.

RSPCA officer, Sarah Rodley said the bird was an extremely rare find in Yorkshire.

"It is a not a migratory bird, so we suspect it has escaped from somewhere," she said.

Fireman Dave England and RSPCA officer Sarah Rodley helped rescue the Puna Ibis She reckons it had been stuck up to its neck in the sludge for at least four hours on Wednesday, before it was rescued by the fire service.

"Only its head was sticking out. I think it had given up. It had been struggling so long it had become exhausted," she said.

Once retrieved, it was taken to the RSPCA animal house in Bradford and was cleaned up and inspected by a vet to ensure it had not swallowed any toxins.

Meanwhile, enquiries have been made to find out where it might have escaped from, but with no luck. Longer term, it is hoped it might be re-homed, possibly at Harewood House or an RSPCA sanctuary.

Firefighters in Skipton used a special inflatable platform to crawl along and reach the bird, which was about 30 feet out into the pool of sludge.

The device had to be sent from York, but Skipton Fire Station manger Graham Whittington said it was essential to reach the animal.

The ibis's plight was spotted by members of Cononley Ornithology Group while bird watching in the flooded areas around Cononley Ings.

Member Roy Clarke said: "My guess is that it is probably an escapee from a private collection or bird sanctuary.

"We also don't know yet whether it is male or female as it was covered in mud and both look similar."

The Craven Herald's own inquiries have also drawn a blank.

Harewood House, Lotherton Hall at Wakefield and Tropical World at Roundhay Park, in Leeds, do not keep the species.

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