“If a person could afford a hyacinth macaw, it was like a status symbol,” Micco said.īut over time, she said, “people started realizing these birds are just amazing and they’re intelligent.”Īfrican grays, such as Martin’s Sweetie, have a vast vocabulary and are said to have the mental reasoning of a 3-year-old child.
The draw for many owners, at least initially, centered on aesthetics: The birds were coveted for vibrant feathers that often served as a bright complement to home décor. In the 1980s and ‘90s, macaws, with their gravelly squawks, were all the rage. Because of their long lifespans - some breeds can live more than 50 years - they’re frequently passed down to their owners’ children or grandchildren. Their vividly colored feathers and intelligence are a draw to those seeking a less conventional pet than a dog or cat. The mystery over Lady Gaga’s stolen French bulldogs and attack on her dog walker deepened even after the dogs were safely recovered.īut birds have long been a symbol of style and wealth in the U.S. And their use of gloves suggests they also know birds: Although hand-fed parrots are more docile than their wild counterparts, sticking one’s hand in an unsuspecting bird’s cage can result in a painful bite.Ĭalifornia Lady Gaga’s dogs recovered, but mystery only deepens about the violent theft They were gone in minutes.Īllen suspects the burglars had visited the store and knew where the African grays were located. The thieves, wearing protective gloves, bent back the doors of the steel cages just enough to slide the birds out. Clever parrots can figure out even the most sophisticated door closure mechanisms within a few days, she said.
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The cages were padlocked, a measure to keep the birds from figuring out how to unlatch their enclosures and escape. They also stole Ruffle, an elderly double yellow-headed Amazon that belongs to a woman who was temporarily boarding the bird at Allen’s store. They took two African grays that Allen had hand-fed as babies and was planning to sell. Security footage captured two thieves busting through the glass door of the All Animals Veterinary Hospital and making off with five parrots that they crammed into backpacks. In February, about two months after Martin’s birds were taken, another break-in unfolded 90 miles north in Calabasas. “There’s a special place in hell for people that steal animals,” Martin said.
The bandits tore the birds from their cages, stuffed them into backpacks and fled.Īlerted by the shop’s manager, Martin rushed to the store the next morning, still in her pajamas, only to find their empty cages and telltale feathers. In the Feed Barn caper, security cameras captured two people shrouded in surgical masks and hooded sweatshirts smashing their way in and making a beeline for Cody, Baby Love and Sweetie. Many of the thefts have an eerie similarity. The feathered creatures, which can retail for as much as $6,000 depending on the breed, have been stolen from pet stores, porches, even a veterinarian’s office. The December break-in at Martin’s Feed Barn store in Dana Point was one of several parrot thefts in Southern California in recent months.
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