Bradford man reunites with stolen parrot after nine years

A man in Bradford, England, has been reunited with his African grey parrot, Barney, nearly nine years after the bird was stolen during a home burglary in August 2017. At the time of the theft, the intruders also took a laptop and gardening tools, and the family's Chihuahua was fatally injured.

The 19-year-old parrot was discovered alive in an IKEA parking lot in Ashton-under-Lyne, approximately 20 miles from his original home. A veterinarian scanned Barney's microchip, which confirmed his name and origin, though the contact number on file was no longer active.

Gemma Dumbill of the Hillary Harry and Friends Wildlife Rescue center assisted in locating the owner after searching for the bird's family online. Robert Mortimer, who had long since given up hope, was notified of the discovery by a local police officer.