Feathered Sidekick to TV’s ‘Baretta’ Stolen

Fred, the comedic cockatoo made famous in the 1970s television series “Baretta,” was stolen from his cage at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, police said Wednesday.

The missing cockatoo was one of three that portrayed Robert Blake’s pet during the ABC series about an unconventional cop. The one-time winner of a Patsy--the animal equivalent of an Academy Award--had been performing in shows at the Wild Animal Park for six years.

The theft of the 30-year-old, sulfur-crested cockatoo occurred between 4:15 p.m. Tuesday and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, police spokesman Bill Robinson said. A trainer discovered Fred missing when he came to give him his breakfast, he said.

The thief or thieves forced their way through three locked gates to get to the cockatoo, housed in a cage in the rear of the park’s bird theater, Robinson said. Because there was no sign of struggle, police are looking at the possibility the abductor knew his way around the park and knows how to handle birds, he said.

None of the 40 other birds housed in the same area were missing, Robinson said.

Tom Hanscom, a spokesman for the Wild Animal Park, said Fred is generally an aggressive bird and becomes very noisy when strangers approach him. Raised by only a handful of male trainers, Fred was not used to many people around him and did not like women, he said.

Fred, who can talk, laugh and cough, is valued at more than $15,000 because of his training and celebrity status, Robinson said. He is owned by Ray Berwick Inc., a Hollywood company that trains birds for use in films, television and stage shows.

The snowy white bird with brilliant blue eyes and a tuft of yellow head feathers has performed at the San Diego Wild Animal Park since 1984, Hanscom said. The park has had a longstanding contract with Ray Berwick Inc. to stage bird shows, he said.

In the past year, however, Fred had not been performing regularly and had only appeared sporadically in educational and membership appreciation shows, Hanscom said. Fred last performed in a show called “Down Under,” which featured animals from the South Pacific and Australia, he said.

Fred’s theft was the park’s first this year. Four years ago, another type of cockatoo was stolen, Hanscom said.

Five rare birds, valued at more than $20,000, were stolen from the San Diego Zoo earlier this month. Although there is no apparent connection between the thefts at the zoo and Fred’s abduction, police are not ruling out that possibility, Hanscom said.

“I certainly hope this is not one in a series,” Hanscom said. “We’ve not had much trouble out here at all.”

Park security, already 24 hours a day, will be beefed up in light of the theft, Hanscom said. He would not disclose how many security guards will be added.

A police investigation is continuing, and concern for the bird’s welfare is high, Hanscom said.

“Fred is on a special diet, a parrot mix adjusted to him, so we do have concerns about his health in the hands of someone who does not know his history,” Hanscom said. “We are very anxious to get him back, and we hope anyone with information will contact the Wild Animal Park.”