The Flight of Pheonix
A late evening phone call and an apparition on a dark patio in Bideford? Had the so called ‘beast of Exmoor’ grown wings and moved west? Whatever was going on, it was all in a night’s work for the NDAA team…
After so many years in animal rescue, nothing seems to faze NDAA ‘animal angel’ Diana Lewis. Thus it was that, late one night in April 2008, Diana received a telephone call from a Bideford lady, pleading for assistance. As Diana listened, the lady explained how she’d just been confronted by a large, very unusual white and black bird in the darkness of her patio.
An apparition in the dark
Not only had she been given a big surprise by the strange apparition that emerged from the darkness; she owned a dog and was concerned for the bird’s safety and was wary as she didn’t know what it was. As Diana was in the middle of feeding her little creatures, husband Mick agreed to go and collect the strange creature. It was nearly midnight by the time he returned with the very cold and hungry bird, which, fortunately had offered no resistance.
What was he?
With the stunning silver-coloured bird safely in care at the NDAA’s aviary, the next day saw the team immersed in research to find out what breed he was. The verdict, after a day of bookwork and Web research? He matched all the descriptions of a Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera).
Where had he come from? For the next two weeks the bird had sole use of half the NDAA’s aviary while the intensive detective work continued to try and find out where he’d come from. Eventually, the NDAA team discovered that he belonged to our old friends the Kenwith Castle Residential Home at Abbotsham, on the outskirts of Bideford.. He’d been let out accidentally, had panicked and flown away.
Back in prime condition After two weeks of rest and care in the NDAA aviary, Phoenix was back in prime condition and Diana was able to take him home to be reunited with his mate, Athena. None the worse for his adventure, he is now very contented to be back in his own, very palatial, residence with his loving partner.
