A brave Flamingo with a colourful history was returned to her flock yesterday after flying solo for over a year.

Flo, as she is known by the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo staff, was returned yesterday after a man rescued her from a near collision with a car.

Calvin Virgil, an air conditioning technician, saw Flo scavenging for food on the side of Middle Road, near Warwick Pond, and followed her until she got stuck in some bushes.

Mr. Virgil, with the help of an unknown man, carefully scooped the Flamingo up, making a point to hold her wings in close to her sides to avoid injury.

However, Flo didn?t want to make it easier for her rescuers ? she gave Mr. Virgil a few slaps on his arm with her beak before getting into the car.

Luckily, Mr. Virgil was not injured in the rescue.

Nearby veterinary staff at Ettrick Animal Hospital helped to place Flo, who was wrapped in a blanket, into the front seat of Mr. Virgil?s car for the trip to the Aquarium.

Flo, who is in her late twenties, had escaped from the Aquarium and her flock after Hurricane Fabian hit and has been splitting her time between Spittal Pond and Warwick Pond for the past year.

Principal curator for the Aquarium Brian Lightbourne said: ?She is back, safely and comfortably re-integrating with the group, who have welcomed her.?

He said Aquarium staff were happy to have her back even though she had been thriving in the wild.

Before her escape, Flo had formed a relationship with a male Flamingo at the Aquarium.

She then made a nest but the couple did not reproduce.

?Now it is a great opportunity for them to re-bond and mate,? Mr. Lightbourne noted.

The ever independent Flo, had escaped previously following Hurricane Emily.

She remained in the wild for about 12 years after that escape until she entangled herself in a kite string and had to be rescued and returned to the Aquarium.

The area where the flock are kept at the Aquarium has foliage surrounding it which helps to keep the birds in, said Mr. Lightbourne.

However, they do have the ability to escape ? especially after hurricanes rip through the foliage.

Flamingo?s need running space to fly off and lack of foliage provides that extra space.

Before this year?s mating season ? in the summer months ? Flo kept flying over the Flamingo sanctuary at the Aquarium but had difficulty getting back in due of lack of landing space.

Senior Zookeeper Robin Marirea said Flo has been almost impossible to catch.

Because she is an old bird, Aquarium staff opted to stop trying as long as she was thriving in the wild.

Of her last mating attempts before her escape, Mr. Marirea said: ?She kept freaking out when he (unnamed male Flamingo) was trying to mate.?

Mr. Marirea believes it was because she was not satisfied with her nest.

The Aquarium realised that something was wrong with the mud in the sanctuary and have since fixed the problem, resulting in 11 chicks being born this year.

?Hopefully, she will pair up (with her old mate) again but it may not happen because she is old,? Mr. Marirea said.

While on the lam after Emily, Flo found a mate in a fellow escapee, but they never reproduced and he died many years ago.

Mr. Marirea said that the danger of Bermuda?s busy roads was the reason for not releasing more Flamingos into the wild.

?We are very happy to have her back,? he said.