CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : 5 Parrots Stolen From Zoo Hatchery

Thieves using bolt cutters broke into a holding cage at the San Diego Zoo bird hatchery and stole five parrots valued at $21,500, officials said. The birds, three golden conures valued at $2,500 each and a pair of hyacinth macaws valued at up to $7,000 apiece, were taken from the Avian Propogation Center Tuesday night or early Wednesday. Zoo spokesman Jeff Jouett said the theft was discovered by zoo keepers. Detectives later found part of a lock from the holding cage that had been cut with bolt cutters. The birds, native to Brazil, were hatched at the zoo within the past year. In June, 1989, an eagle and milky owl were taken from the zoo. “It takes a real lowlife to take an animal from the zoo,” Jouett said. “This is an affront to the whole community and hopefully people in this town will be as furious as we are and will give us some leads.”