By gum, Noddy has neighbourhood in a flap

By Sarah Schwager
A FEISTY cockatoo caused a ruckus in Hampton Park on the weekend after CFA and police were called out to rescue the bird from a tree.
The sulphur crested cockatoo called Noddy was the main attraction on Friday night as neighbours looked on and rescue crews took 2.5 hours to get the bird out of a large gum tree on McDowall Street.
Its owner, Dyan Nyitrai, said Noddy had its wings clipped and so could not normally fly.
However, it had been sitting in a tree in their yard when it was spooked by kids playing cricket and flew across three blocks into a tall gum tree.
Mrs Nyitrai and husband Zac called the fire brigade about 8pm when it became obvious they were not going to be able to get the bird out of the tree by themselves.
“The CFA had to arrange for a truck to come from Dandenong with a hydraulic lift and then police were called to block the road as it is a very busy road,” she said.
“It was so embarrassing. People were coming past and asking ‘is there a cat up the tree?’ and ‘where’s the fire?’
“But there are hundreds of cockatoos in that park. We had to get him out so we could still find him.”
Mrs Nyitrai said that in the end she had to climb up and get Noddy out of the tree as it would not respond to the CFA members.
“Once we got him the whole crowd was clapping,” she said.
“He was very scared and very happy to see me up that tree.”
The family has had six-year-old Noddy since last September and said it was very tame and spoke to them.
“He says ‘hello cockatoo’ and barks like a dog and I’m teaching him to say ‘I love mum’.”
Mrs Nyitrai said she was very grateful to those who had helped in the rescue and how patient and friendly CFA crews had been.
She said Noddy would not be leaving the house for some time.