Falcon plucked from Toledo Zoo's aviary

Daniel Miller/ AP Photo

A male African pygmy Falcon is seen on a tree at the Toledo Zoo aviary in Toledo, Ohio. The bird's pregnant mate was stolen Sunday when someone either broke through the exhibit's wire mesh or pulled it apart. The bird, worth at least $1,000, is one of only about 20 in American zoos, but it is not considered endangered.

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by John Seewer
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOLEDO - It is a whodunit that has zookeepers baffled.

Someone broke through wire mesh at the Toledo Zoo and swiped a pregnant African Pygmy falcon worth at least $1,000, police said.

The female falcon is one of only about 20 in American zoos, but it is not considered endangered.

The eight-inch long falcon, one of the world's smallest birds of prey, was taken from the aviary while the zoo was open to the public Sunday, said Robert Webster, curator of birds.

"It's somebody who knew what they were after or had no clue whatsoever," Webster said. "Maybe it was a prank."

The falcon was with its mate when someone pulled back the mesh along a seam, Webster said. The mate was not stolen.

A zookeeper discovered the falcon was missing during a check at closing.

The female probably was taken because it is friendlier than the male, Webster said.

"The female you could grab, the male you couldn't," he said. "But if she was grabbed, she'd dig in and bite."

Getting the bird out of the zoo probably wasn't difficult, said zoo spokeswoman Melissa Shaner. The falcon could fit in a purse or under a jacket and likely would keep quiet in a dark place, she said.

"We have never had anything like this in recent history," she said. "A couple of years ago, kids stole a goat from the petting zoo. It was recovered right away."

The falcon has a gray cap and neck, black wings and a white underbelly. It was just a few days away from laying three or four eggs, which made it more valuable.

The bird has been on a special diet and its health is in danger outside the zoo, Webster said. The bird also is susceptible to cold and damp conditions.

Webster said it is baffling why anyone would take the animal.

"It's not a pet bird. It's not a bird you could find a market for," he said.

Zoo officials have talked with employees and people who were at an exotic bird show that was in town during the weekend, but they do not suspect the workers or anyone from the show stole the falcon.

"We haven't ruled it out, but we're thinking it's not the case," Shaner said.

About 1,100 people visited the zoo Sunday, she said.