HATTIESBURG, Mississippi (AP) — Hattiesburg police are investigating the death of a Chilean flamingo stolen from the Hattiesburg Zoo early Tuesday.
Rick Taylor, executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, said the female flamingo was taken about 1:08 a.m. It was located about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and was returned to the zoo where it was euthanized.
Police say the incident was caught on a security camera. See the video here on the zoo’s Facebook page.
The bird was one of four females in the Chilean flamingo exhibit that opened at the zoo in April 2013.
Each flamingo cost $1,700 and the zoo bought 21 of them. Taylor says two birds have died of natural causes since the exhibit opened.
Police spokesman Jon Traxler says the suspects face charges of grand larceny but more charges may be filed depending on what the investigation shows.
