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.
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.
