Wichita ? Sedgwick County Zoo workers are on the hunt for two flamingos that escaped earlier this week.

The pair of birds took flight Monday night and staffers have been looking for them since.

“My hope is that we can locate them and assist them in getting back here, one way or another,” said Joe Barkowski, curator of birds at the zoo. “We just want to make sure we get them back safely.”

The birds are part of a flock of 40 greater flamingos obtained by the zoo in 2003 and kept in a habitat just outside the new Downing Gorilla Forest exhibit. They are 4 to 5 feet tall with pale pink feathers.

One of the birds escaped its habitat Monday afternoon. Zookeepers didn’t chase the bird for fear of scaring it away.

The bird was monitored, but by 9 p.m. had taken flight. And one other member of its flock went along.

Zookeepers say the two circled the zoo several times and appeared to be trying to land back in the exhibit. But they apparently became disoriented by wind and nearby traffic noise.

Barkowski said the birds eventually took off flying southwest. Five vehicles carrying zoo staffers chased after the birds but lost them. Before long, it was too dark to continue the search.

The hunt resumed Tuesday morning along nearby waterways. No luck, though.

Barkowski said flamingos were such strong fliers the pair could be almost anywhere. He said such an escape was highly unusual.

The zoo can’t say how much money each bird is worth. Barkowski said their value was immeasurable.

“They’re just worth a lot to us because we really care about them.”