Parrots scare thieves away by mimicking a dog's bark

A pair of parrots are putting the fear of dog into would-be thieves after learning to imitate barking. Green-winged macaws Elvis and Cilla have been on duty at a security company for the past year.

Owner Trevor Bate, 44, said: ‘They picked it up when we lived in Spain, where our neighbour had a Scottie dog called Bailey and it would bark all the time. His owner would come out and shout at him. Once we returned to the UK, we thought this would be an ideal way of saving money on a guard dog.’



‘Elvis and Cilla might sound mean at times but they are really friendly birds,’ said Mr Bate’s wife, Louise, 42. ‘They’re part of the family, so I thought it was fair to include them in the family business.’

The birds stand watch outside MP Guarding security company, in Telford, Shropshire, and Mrs Bate hopes they will breed – despite Elvis’s lack of interest at the moment.