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Parrot taken into custody by police in Brazil for trying to warn drug dealers of raid

Despite the bird's warning, a man and a woman were arrested, a local media outlet reports.
A Puerto Rican parrot eats inside one of the flight cages in the Iguaca Aviary at El Yunque, Puerto Rico on Nov. 6, 2018.
A Puerto Rican parrot eats inside one of the flight cages in the Iguaca Aviary at El Yunque, Puerto Rico on Nov. 6, 2018.Carlos Giusti / AP file

A parrot that warned two alleged drug dealers in Brazil that police were coming was taken into custody after it almost foiled the undercover drug raid, authorities said.

When the green-and-white bird spotted officers Tuesday at its owners' Teresina home, it squawked "Mama, Police!" in Portuguese, according to the local outlet Oliberal.com.

Despite the bird's efforts to tip off the owners, a man and a woman were arrested, the outlet reports. Drugs, including crack and marijuana, were found at the property, as well as large amounts of money.

Police did not name the parrot, which has reportedly continued to show its loyalty to its owners and is refusing to sing like a canary. The Guardian reports that a local journalist said the bird won't talk to officers and "hasn't made a sound."

Authorities believe the parrot was trained to spot police cars. It is being kept at a zoo in Teresina, Oliberal.com reports.