BBC News | ENGLAND | Parrot sick for stolen mate

Anxious keepers at a Leeds bird garden are offering �1,000 for help in tracing one half of a breeding pair of rare parrots.

Both the white bare-eyed cockatoos were stolen from the Lotherton Hall aviary in November.

But information received after a pre-Christmas appeal led police to an address in Lincolnshire where the hen bird was identified.

Staff are now keen to recover the large male bird, fearing both for the well-being of each mate and for the future breeding programme for the species.

Endangered list

John Hayward, from the National Theft Register for exotic species, said the birds can be easily recognised.

"They are fairly rare and, like all species of the parrot family, are on the endangered animals list.

"This was a particularly significant theft as they were in fact a mating pair."

The hen bird naturally misses her partner and is pining

John Hayward
As a result of publicity in specialist bird magazines, information was received that one of the cockatoos was in the possession of a person living in Lincolnshire.

Police visited the address and recovered the hen bird of the pair with the assistance of its keepers.

"It is a matter of urgency that we now appeal for any information on the outstanding bird," said Mr Hayward.

"The hen bird naturally misses her partner and is pining.

"For the welfare of both birds we appeal to the public to help us track down the other half of the pair."

Security has been stepped up at the Lotherton aviaries to prevent a repition of the theft.


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