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Drug dealers could be hiding rare birds

1/12/2002

AN Oldham bird enthusiast believes drug dealers may have stolen his collection of rare and expensive pets.

Zafar Malik of Bardsley, Oldham, is still missing Tamzin, a three-foot scarlet macaw, Snowy an umbrella cockatoo and a three inch long tortoise called Gazza. The animals are worth £1,000 and Zafar, who works closely with the RSPCA, fears thieves hope to make a killing by selling them on.

An Amazon parrot called Pidddy was part of the haul snatched by burglars who broke into his home but he has now been recovered after being spotted up a tree in the Fitton Hill area of the town.

Zafar has been leafleting the area in a bid to recover all the animals. He said: "Since I put the leaflets out I have had three anonymous calls pointing the drug dealers as the culprits. I have informed the police but so far they have found nothing.
"But I am going to keep the pressure up to prevent anyone selling these birds on the quiet.

"Particularly valuable is the macaw which is a class-one protected species because it is very rare."

Apart from his personal pets Zafar keeps birds and other animals for the RSPCA in a specially constructed conservatory at the rear of his home.

Anyone with information on the missing pets can contact him on 0161 652 1615.