Freddy Krueger the Parrot Apparently Won't Die, Either

Freddy Krueger, the bird, has a face to match Freddy Krueger, the fictional serial killer—which might've been its salvation. The Amazonian parrot sent to a Brazilian zoo four years ago after it was left blinded and burned by a bullet to the upper-beak in a police raid on a drug den was stolen on April 16, only to turn up beside its zoo cage in Cascavel two days later. It remains a mystery how the turquoise-fronted parrot escaped three armed thieves, who also made off with another parrot, still missing, and a canister of gas. But the zoo's vet, Ilair Dettoni, has suggested Freddy was freed because there's little demand for parrots with a mangled face.

The Guardian, however, notes "drops of blood found near his former abode have fueled speculation" that the parrot fought for freedom. According to Dettoni, "he's a bit of a wild one." The parrot has certainly had a traumatic life. Days before it was stolen, Freddy lost quite a bit of blood when a non-venomous snake bit the parrot's leg. Freddy was recovering in a storeroom when the thieves broke in, forcing a zoo guard to lie on the floor as they stole the birds, reports Brazil's Gazetaweb.com. Pointing out the value of parrots for drug dealers, the Guardian notes another bird—trained to shout, "Mum, the police!"—was seized from an alleged drug pen in Piaui state on Monday. (More on that here.)