Cockatoo Rescued After Four Weeks Inside Australian Supermarket

A sulphur-crested cockatoo named Mickey, who had been living inside a Sydney supermarket for nearly a month, has finally been captured by wildlife services. Mickey had been surviving on a diet of brioche while stuck in the Coles supermarket at Macarthur Square, Campbelltown.

New South Wales environment minister Penny Sharpe shared the news on Tuesday evening, expressing relief that Mickey had been safely caught. “Mickey is being assessed by experts. We hope Mickey will be flying free by tomorrow,” Sharpe said, thanking those involved in the rescue.

False rumors had spread online earlier about a supposed “kill order” for the bird, which Sharpe quickly dismissed, stating that Mickey was never in danger of being harmed. Efforts to free the bird had been ongoing for days, with wildlife experts and even another cockatoo, Old Lady Doris, brought in to encourage Mickey to come down from the supermarket rafters. Although initial attempts failed, rescuers remained persistent.

“He’s really scared because there’s been so many attempts – people trying to catch him,” said Ravi Wasan, director of Feathered Friends bird rescue. Mickey, despite being frightened, had been eating well, though Wasan hoped the bird would eventually calm down enough to leave the store. Thankfully, a successful rescue was achieved just hours after Wasan’s remarks.

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