Owl back at Adelaide Zoo after escaping

The round-the-clock search for the Adelaide Zoo's sooty owl Oscar has come to a happy end, days after he skipped the zoo during a flight show.

The zoo says Oscar was found by one of his keepers on Thursday night sleeping in a tree at the University of Adelaide campus and has been brought back to the aviary.

A big drink of water was the first home comfort enjoyed by the 10-year-old, who went missing after he flew the coop during his routine Monday show.