ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- Retrieving a lost animal that walks on all fours can be a tough and draining process. What do you do when that lost pet can fly?
- Kona, a rescued macaw, got loose in Ormond Beach
- Kept getting spooked and flying from tall tree to tall tree
- Neighbors, school staff and a local business helped bring him back
In Ormond Beach, it took a local business, neighbors, and a public school to help a family catch a recently rescued macaw.
DanieLynn D'Ambrosio said the Catalina Macaw named Kona was spooked by a large bell ringing on Monday near Tomoka Elementary School, and took flight.
The bird was then scared by a hawk, causing him to fly from one tree to the next, forcing the family to spend hours tracking the fleeing feathered friend from the ground.
D'Ambrosio said neighbors from the nearby Brookwood neighborhood came out to offer the bird fruit to help get him down, and help the family spot the bird when he would take flight again, but after hours they could not get the bird to come down.
The next morning, the family dashed through yards to try and coax Kona down, but he refused, instead flying from tree to tree around Tomoka Elementary School, which was a treat for the kids.
Finally Bridges Brothers Property Preservation came out and spent the day working with the family to get Kona, scaling a 40-foot ladder and an additional 20 feet of tree. The family said they managed to get Kona wet using a hose, which stopped him from flying and made it easier to grab him in the tree.
D'Ambrosio said Kona was only rescued a few months ago and has had a rough life. The family took him for his favorite meal (at Chipotle!) and put aloe on his face which was sunburned, but otherwise he was fine.
The family wanted to thank the administration and staff at Tomoka Elementary School, which helped them keep track of Kona, and the rest of the community that helped get him back.