Featured Image Credit: Storyful
Topics: New Zealand, Viral, Animals
Shola Lee
A cheeky kleptomaniac parrot stole a GoPro from a family in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand and filmed its escape.
Yep, you read that right. The kleptomaniac parrot - part of the alpine species known as the 'kea' - is known to have pretty stellar stealing abilities, with the species reported to steal everything from wallets, to jewellery and even GoPros, it seems.
Check out the clever getaway below:
Advert
Alexandra Verheul had her device stolen while she was walking through the national park with her family.
The device was set down on a balcony of the Luxmore Hut at the park, when the parrot got curious.
Picking up the device, the parrot took flight and filmed its getaway, with footage showing the parrot travelling from the hut, over the hills and forest, before landing on a rock. It then proceeds to peck at the device as the sun beams down.
The bird even rolls the GoPro onto a grassy area, chewing on a piece of the camera.
In the background we hear a young person say 'I found it', to which the parrot quickly flees, leaving behind the stolen GoPro.
Speaking of the parrot's short-lived spree, Verheul told Seven Sharp: 'We just followed the sound down there, we could see them hanging out in a tree – they’d obviously heard us coming and abandoned the GoPro … My son decided to go check the rocks where it looked like a good place for a bird to land, and there it was still sitting there, still filming'.
To be fair to the parrot, the GoPro didn't seem too damaged. Maybe it just wanted to try vlogging?
Either way, its not uncommon for the species to hang out in the park. According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation, the kea is a bird typically found in alpine and forested environments.
As listed on the department's site: 'The endangered kea is one of the most intelligent birds in the world. This unique problem-solving parrot was crowned Bird of the Year in 2017'.
The population of the species is estimated to be between 3,000-7,000, with its conservation status listed as 'Threatened-Nationally Endangered'.
The kea is a protected species in New Zealand and has suffered from the impact of human activity.
According to the site: 'The birds' endearing and mischievous behaviour can cause conflict with people, and damage to property especially around campsites and carparks'.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]