Bilingual parrot becomes international celebrity
- Nigel, an African grey parrot, who spoke with a British accent when he went missing four years ago, was returned to his owner in October. Only there was one difference. He now spoke Spanish. His story quickly went viral.
Talking parrot missing for 4 years found, now speaks SpanishWhen Nigel vanished four years ago, he spoke with a cultivated British accent. Little is known about where the African grey parrot went, what he did - or who he was with - in those missing years.- Nigel's story had a happy ending. Turns out he was being cared for by an 86-year-old man who was born in Guatemala and spoke mostly Spanish to the bird. Nigel's original owner decided to let him stay with the family he had spent the last four years with.
British-accented parrot will return to his Spanish-speaking Torrance familyComo se dice? Break out the Spanish dictionary. Nigel, the African grey parrot with the British accent whose tale went viral this week after he was found speaking Spanish, will return to his bilingual roots in the weeks to come.The Chinese zodiac needs to add a new animal, because 2014 was the Year of the Tortoise in Southern California
- In early August, a 150-pound tortoise was found wandering Alhambra.
150-pound tortoise found wandering in AlhambraALHAMBRA >> Officials are seeking to reunite a 150-pound tortoise with it's owner after the massive reptile was found wandering the streets of Alhambra Saturday, police said. A passer-by called police about 1 p.m. to report seeing the animal strolling in the southeast end of town, Alhambra police Sgt.- Turns out the tortoise's name was Clark, and he was quickly reunited with his family.
'Clark,' the 150-pound tortoise found wandering in Alhambra, reunited with ownersALHAMBRA >> A massive tortoise found wandering through the streets of Alhambra on Saturday has been reunited with his owners, police said. The 150-pound reptile was spotted by a passer-by about 1 p.m. Saturday in the area of 6th Street and Norwood Place, Alhambra police Sgt. Esther Rodriguez said.- Then in September, police put out an APB when Karen Short's 90-pound African spur-thighed sulcata tortoise, Cruiser, went missing from her Carson yard.
Carson woman pleads for thief to return 90-pound tortoiseKaren Short knows Cruiser couldn't have gotten very far if he escaped from her Carson yard. After all, her 90-pound African spur-thighed sulcata tortoise isn't exactly a speed demon. Short believes someone stole her beloved pet from the front yard he has called home for nine years without any problems. His pal, another, even larger sulcata tortoise named Tank, is now alone.- A couple of days later, after the story was made public, Cruiser was returned by a man who "claims" to have "bought" the tortoise at a Wilmington fair for $200. However, he refused a $100 reward. Hmmmm....
90-pound stolen tortoise returned to Carson ownerHe appeared weary Wednesday, resting in the shade of his small house. He hadn't eaten much of the fruits and vegetables laid out in front of him. But Cruiser, the stolen 90-pound tortoise, was home, back where he belonged in the front yard of Karen Short's Carson house. "He's tired.- Yet another wandering tortoise was found in the 900 block of Lomita Street in El Segundo in October.
El Segundo police seek owner of wandering tortoiseAnimal control officials are looking for the owner of a desert tortoise found walking along the sidewalk in El Segundo on Wednesday. The tortoise was spotted at 11:38 a.m. heading north in the 900 block of Lomita Street. He weighs about 20 pounds and is missing a toenail on his left rear foot, El Segundo police Lt.- It doesn't take Jessica Fletcher to figure out it's probably the same Houdini reptile found wandering the 800 block of Lomita Street back in 2010.
El Segundo Animal Control officers seek owner of wandering tortoiseAnimal Control officers in El Segundo are looking for the owners of a tortoise that was found wandering the city's streets last week. The African Spurred Tortoise appeared in good health as it roamed in the 800 block of Lomita Street on Nov. 2. Anyone with information about the owner should contact El Segundo police Sgt.- While those tortoises' stories had a happy ending, things were less cheery for 46 tortoises headed for Hong Kong via the USPS. At least the guy who tried to mail them by passing them off as "toys" is headed for federal prison.
San Gabriel man sentenced to 2 months for trying to mail 46 turtles, tortoises to Hong KongLOS ANGELES >> A judge sentenced a San Gabriel man to two months in federal prison this week for trying to smuggle 46 turtles and tortoises to Hong Kong via the U.S. Postal Service last year, authorities said. Some of the animals died as a resul- More recently, a 150-pound tortoise was stolen out of a La Verne backyard at the end of November.
150-pound tortoise stolen from La Verne backyardLA VERNE >> A 150-pound tortoise disappeared from a La Verne backyard last week in what police are investigating as a theft, officials said. Residents of the 4700 block of Camber Avenue called police on Oct. 9 to report the enormous sulcata tortoise had been taken from their backyard, La Verne police Sgt.A new word entered the Southern California lexicon: Poopgate
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The best Southern California weird news stories of 2014
From bilingual parrots to poop-flinging mayors, there has been no shortage of wacky stories here in the Southland this year. Let's take a stroll down memory lane...just be careful where you step.
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