Cockatoo Survives After Being Shot Five Times

There is an indestructible parrot in our midst.

A sulphur-crested cockatoo, dubbed Mr Cocky, was recently found injured and unable to fly after being gunned down in a backyard in Sydney, the ABC reported. Upon admission to Camden’s Avian Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital, it was revealed by way of x-ray that the bird had been shot at least five times.

Mr Cocky appears to have copped five bullets—three to the chest, one to the shoulder, and one to the head—the latter of which was partially lodged in his skull, just millimetres from his left eye. The Guardian reported that the three body shots were from one rifle, while the other two were from a second. Yet in spite of these injuries, Mr Cocky—improbably and completely inexplicably—survived.

"I mean, he's like winning the national lottery, this one," said veterinarian Lorenzo Crosta, who operated on the seemingly invulnerable parrot. "He's definitely very lucky being alive."

Crosta removed some of the shrapnel, leaving one of the bullets in Mr Cocky's shoulder as it was "only partially limiting" the bird’s movement. None of the bullets inflicted serious damage on Mr Cocky’s vital organs, according to a post on the Exotic Pet Hospital’s Facebook page, and he is now “enjoying his daily physiotherapy to increase his range of motion so that he may one day be released and given a second chance at life.”

The motivations behind the shooting/s are unknown, and it remains unclear as to why anyone would want to wipe out Mr Cocky.

“They [sulphur-crested cockatoos] are pretty loud,” Costa said. “Maybe it was annoying someone, or maybe two kids being stupid. Maybe he was just really unlucky and got shot by one person and flew away and got shot by someone else.”

Still, even Costa seems at a loss as to why anyone would bother taking shots at a cockatoo in the first place. “I really don’t have any idea why… what’s the point?” he said. “It’s not even fun. If you want to prove you are a very good shooter, shoot a pigeon that is quick at least.”

Harming wildlife is prohibited by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act, and an individual could face a fine of up to $88,000 for harming an animal like the sulphur-crested cockatoo.

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