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The Minnesota Zoo is asking for help in tracking down several animals that are still on the loose after escaping an enclosure recently.

It's not too often we hear about animals escaping a zoo, but one DID get loose from the Minnesota Zoo, and zoo officials are still searching for it. Actually, it was several animals that escaped the Zoo recently. Specifically, it was four birds-- African long-tailed shrikes-- that apparently left the Zoo's aviary earlier this summer.

BringMeTheNews reported Wednesday, August 31st that the Minnesota Zoo "lost four magpie shrikes after the birds took flight out a door, which had been mistakenly left ajar in the Zoo's aviary," the story said. The story went onto say that the birds flew away in early July and that one had already been tracked down and returned.

Meanwhile, Fox 9 in Minneapolis reported that Zoo officials say there's no harm to the public-- the birds aren't dangerous. "The birds are in no way considered a threat to Minnesota’s ecosystem and are part of an all-female group that will be unable to reproduce," a Zoo spokesperson said in the story.

Officials with the Minnesota Zoo are asking for your help if you happen to spot any of the three missing magpie shrikes in the vast wilderness that makes up the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Several bird-watching groups in the Twin Cities are already searching for the birds, as well. The Zoo said the birds have a short body, white patches on their shoulders and wings, and a long floppy tail.

Magpie Shrike (Getty Images)
Magpie Shrike (Getty Images)
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This isn't the first time an animal has escaped from the Zoo. In case you don't remember, last October, Gladys, a Eurasian eagle owl escaped its enclosure and was eventually found several days later along the side of a road near the Zoo after having been hit by a car.

Though it's not likely they've flown as far south as Rochester, if you DO happen to spot any of the missing birds (or think you might have), call the Minnesota Zoo at 952-431-9200. These African long-tailed shrikes are a great example of one of those wild animals you can't really have as a pet. But they're not the only ones. Keep scrolling to check out other animals that are illegal to keep as pets in the Med City!

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Animals You Aren't Allowed to Have as a Pet in Rochester, Minnesota

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