EXCITING THREE DAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1934, Page 21 (Supplement)

EXCITING THREE DAYS.

COCKATOO CHAINED TO STEEPLE. A white cockatoo has just spent an exciting three days of adventure. It was first noticed in a Melbourne suburb, roosting in a tree. A small boy climbed ' up - and brought it down, but the bird, after drinking two saucers of milk, flew away again. Attached to one leg was .the chain with which it must formerly have been fastened to its perch. It was noticed the following day on the topmost point of the steeple of a church. Nothing was done at first, for it was thought the bird would fly down when it wanted to. After a while, however, it was discovered that the leg chain was so entangled round the weather-vane that it-could not get free. A young steeplejack was persuaded to try to rescue it. The lashing of three extension ladders enabled him to reach the parapet of the steeple; and then another, at an alarming angle out from the parapet, made the actual ascent of the parapet possible. Two more ladders were required before he could reach the weather-vane. The cockatoo viewed him with alarm. It said “Hullo” several times and then attempted to nip its rescuer’s fingers, but finally the steeplejack severed the chain and the cockatoo fluttered nearer to solid earth, where it. was eventually caught.