Taronga Zoo macaws stolen

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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Rare parrots stolen from Taronga Zoo - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Police are investigating whether the theft of two rare South American birds from Sydney's Taronga Zoo was an inside job.

Zookeepers are in a flutter about how the green-winged macaws, which can measure a metre long, could be stolen despite tight security.

Staff discovered the females, aged eight and 10, were missing from their aviary yesterday morning.

There was no sign of a break-in, but the padlock was gone.

Police are investigating whether the crime is linked to the theft of another pair of macaws from a house in Sydney three months ago.

Officers are still searching for those birds, named Coco and Jackson.

Police Inspector Craig James says zoo staff are "extremely distraught" about the latest theft.

But he says officers are investigating whether one of them was involved.

"The CCTV footage is still to be reviewed," he said.

"This is quite an unusual offence insofar as a break-in at the zoo. They are very uncommon just because of the security systems that are in place."

Police believe someone managed to steal the birds on Wednesday night.

They say the distinctive birds will be difficult to sell on the black market and could be dangerous if not handled properly.

A Taronga Zoo spokesman says it is clear there is an illegal trade in rare birds, but he has refused to comment further while police investigate the theft.
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There is hardly an Illegal trade in Green Winged Macaws in Australia, there is a very very open trade.
 
well technically, if the birds are stolen and then sold that automatically makes it an illegal trade ;)

really zoos always trot out the black-market aspect when reporting stolen birds or reptiles, even if there's not strictly speaking any evidence for it
 
how much are macaws in Australia now? When I used to keep birds they were (from memory) between $10,000 and $50,000 each in NZ
 
Stolen property is stolen property. Not only the seller but, any potential purchasers can be charged. It is the same with anything.
 
yeh apparently the birds are a "pair" they've tried them with males to no success- so whoever stole them cant breed with them. im still surprised they managed to get the birds- the aviary is in the middle of the park...... sounds like an inside job.
 
That is a real shame. Several years ago we had a cockatoo stolen from an outdoor island at our zoo, but this one has a happy ending. The thief sold it to someone who ended up having to take it to the vet. Since we are a small zoo we do not have our own full-time vet, we contract with a local veterinary clinic. The person just happened to take it to this clinic. While they were examining the bird, named Mango, the bird said its own name out loud, which of course the vet knew from the zoo. So he scanned the microchip and we got Mango back!

(Mango is now an education animal who is not left on public exhibit).
 
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