Parrot steals GoPro, records stunning getaway. Watch video

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Alexandra Verheul, from Dunedin in New Zealand, was hiking the Kepler Track during the parrot’s loot. “We just arrived at Luxmore Heart which is on the Kepler Track and it was a beautiful day. So we were just sitting around watching the birds playing with everyone’s packs when my son decided to go put the GoPro on the handrail and he promptly stole it,” Verheul told Seven Sharp.

“He flew straightforward. We thought he was just gone because there is a whole lot of bush underneath and then he looked back around to a tree. We could see and hear them. They were calling out. It was like they were talking to each other as they do because they are very vocal. And we just followed the sound and went down there. We could see them hanging out in the tree,” she said.

“They obviously heard us coming and just abandoned the GoPro. My son decided to go check on the rocks. He clambered up on the rocks. He thought it is a good place for a bird to land and it was just sitting there, still filming.”

When asked about her reaction after watching the footage, Verheul said, “Really, shocked and surprised. Downloaded it on my phone. People were intrigued. It was just amazing and unexpected.”

The Guardian reported, the kea, Aotearoa’s native alpine parrot species, is well known for its mischievous nature. It steals people’s wallets, jewellery, packed lunches, windscreen wipers and other valuable items. According to National Geographic, kea, native to mountainous South Island in New Zealand, has a specific call. Its warbling sound evokes a pleasant mood in other parrots.