Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tips from the public result in the rescue of the baby cockatoo stolen from an east Wichita pet store and in the arrest of the suspect.

A call to the crimestoppers tipline led police to a residence in the 2600 block of South Osage where the bird was located. The suspect was at home and was placed into custody. The man told police he wanted to give the bird to his daughter as a Christmas present.

The bird was returned to the store Tuesday evening to the joy of Petland employees and patrons.

A spokesperson at the store said the bird appeared to be fine but should be hand-fed twice daily with a special formula. Without it, officials say the bird's life was at risk. They also say if the formula the bird eats is not properly given to the bird, it could drain into his lungs and kill him instantly.

A surveillance camera in Petland, located at 11333 East Kellogg, caught the theft on camera. The video was key to generating public interest in helping police find the cockatoo.

In the video, you could see a man in a black leather jacket reach into the open-air cockatoo enclosure and scoop up the bird. Moments later, he quickly puts the bird into his jacket and heads for the door.

Petland is the same pet store that a nine-week-old English Bulldog puppy was stolen from in July. Another puppy was taken in front of security cameras in April. In both cases, video of the thefts generated public tips, helping officials locate and safely return the puppies.

Petland says this is the first instance in which a bird has been taken. The Cockatoo shared its enclosure with two other birds. Authorities say the are not kept in cages because they are extremely docile. Interaction with adults and children also helps socialize the birds and prepare them for their new homes, managers said.

The store plans to have extra personnel monitoring the open animal enclosures and the front door.

Calls to crimestopper that lead to the arrest of a suspect could earn the caller up to $1,000.