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Albatross found in LA freed to fly home to Hawaii

Sporting its newly installed metal Federal tag, a Laysan Albatross flies south, back to the wild after its release in San Pedro, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. The bird apparently arrived in San Pedro after it stowed away on a cargo ship and was found riding in the bed of a pickup truck in San Pedro last Friday. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Bob Chamberlin) MANDATORY CREDIT: Bob Chamberlin/Los Angeles Times; FOREIGN OUT; NO SALES; MAGS OUT; ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER OUT; LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS OUT; VENTURA COUNTY STAR OUT; INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN OUT; SAN BERNARDINO SUN OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT

International Bird Rescuers Center Manager Julie Skoglund and Adam Ribota releases a Laysan Albatross back to the wild about a half mile at sea from Angels Gate, entrance to Los Angeles Harbor, in San Pedro, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. The bird apparently arrived in San Pedro after it stowed away on a cargo ship and was found riding in the bed of a pickup truck in San Pedro last Friday. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Bob Chamberlin) MANDATORY CREDIT: Bob Chamberlin/Los Angeles Times; FOREIGN OUT; NO SALES; MAGS OUT; ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER OUT; LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS OUT; VENTURA COUNTY STAR OUT; INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN OUT; SAN BERNARDINO SUN OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT

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The Associated Press Updated 11:51 PM Tuesday, January 31, 2012

LOS ANGELES — A large seabird found in the back of a pickup truck in Los Angeles has been released to begin its long flight home across the Pacific.

The Los Angeles Times reports (http://lat.ms/yVM1yL ) the Laysan Albatross that normally nests on remote islands was released Tuesday from a boat off San Pedro.

Rescuers suspect the bird stowed away on a cargo ship to hitch a trans-Pacific ride to Los Angeles, where it was spotted hitching a ride in a truck on Friday.

The wildlife rescue center in San Pedro has taken in a handful of the massive birds, which look like overgrown seagulls, over the past decade.

With its 7-foot wingspan, an albatross can soar long distances and spend years roaming the ocean without touching land.

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February 01, 2012 04:43 AM EST

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