SAGAMIHARA, Japan -- A pet parakeet was returned to its Japanese
owner Wednesday after the brainy bird told police its home address
near Tokyo.
The male bird, called Piko-chan, escaped early Sunday morning from
his home in the city of Sagamihara and remained at large before
being coaxed into perching on the shoulder of a guest at a nearby
hotel.
He was handed over to local police, but Piko-chan did not speak
until Tuesday evening, when he blurted out the names of the city
and district where his owner's home is located, a police spokesman
said.
The stunned cops then listened as the parakeet produced the home's
block and street number.
His owner, a 64-year-old woman, once lost another parakeet after it
flew away and was determined not to make the same mistake.
"So the owner decided to teach the address to this parakeet after
she bought it at a pet store two years ago," a police spokesman
said. "The bird's name was found to be Piko-chan as it said,
'You're pretty, Piko-chan.'"