Pepper the cockatoo returned home to Staglands reserve in Upper Hutt after being sold

Pepper supervising Constable Tushar before being reunited with her carers.

Pepper the cockatoo, who was stolen from Upper Hutt’s Staglands and sold to a Porirua local, has been found and returned.

The 6-year-old sulphur-crested cockatoo, who had called the nature reserve home for multiple years, was taken from her home in the Toe Toe aviary on November 17.

The police report described the 6-year-old bird as “very friendly and cuddly”, with a vocabulary of “hello Pepper” and “hello darling”.

Initially, there was little evidence for police to go on, but a break in the case came on Friday, following media coverage of Pepper’s birdnapping.

It turned out Pepper had been sold.

Pepper's pictured supervising Constable Tushar, before being reunited with her carers.

A young man and his father bought the bird from an unknown man in Porirua, but they alerted police after seeing the news and realising Pepper was actually hot property.

The cockatoo was dropped off at Porirua Police Station, and Constable Tushar – on his first day on the front line – took care of her until her keepers arrived.

“We want to thank the young man and his father for alerting police so quickly,” police said.

The cockatoo can say her own name, Pepper, and often says "hello darling" to Staglands visitors.

Staglands general manager Sarah Purdy told Newstalk ZB everyone was delighted.

“[We’re] a little bit shell-shocked about how quickly and easily it happened in the end,” she said.

Purdy said staff received a phone call late Friday night from police who said they received a bird believed to be Pepper.

“Myself and a couple of rangers shot over there and there was no doubt.

“They said a young guy was at the gym on Friday and saw the news article and realised it was the bird he had.

“Full marks for him. He did absolutely the right thing.”

Purdy said Pepper was now in a different aviary.

“She’s good, but every now and then she looks like she is getting a bit tired with all the attention and goes to the top of the aviary,” she said.

“Kerry, one of the keepers here, went to the police station and she was very happy to see Kerry.

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