‘Get a life’: Man steals 25kg life size bald eagle statue from Vermont South couple
A Vermont South couple has been left baffled after one of their 68 life-size animal statues was stolen from their frontyard fibreglass zoo.
Outer East
Don't miss out on the headlines from Outer East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Melbourne couple who have turned their property into a local landmark with a fibreglass zoo full of giraffes, elephants and tigers are hunting a 25kg bald eagle stolen from the front yard.
Rhonda and George, who asked to not have their surname published, began building their front yard fibreglass zoo nearly 20 years ago when Rhonda bought a sheep statue.
“Of course you can’t just have one sheep, so I got another and just kept adding to it,” she said.
That one sheep turned into 68 life-size animals that have made the Vermont South property a local tourist attraction.
But in the early hours of Saturday, April 6, a brazen thief walked into the front yard, took time to look at the extensive collection of animals, before making off with a bald eagle.
The 25kg statue is about 1m tall and is worth about $500.
The eagle has a yellow beak and yellow feet and sits on a grey base.
When Rhonda woke to find one of her beloved statues missing, she checked her CCTV footage and saw the thief in action.
“He was wearing a white hoodie and he took his time in my garden,” she said.
“It was about 5.30am and he looked like he was coming home from a night out.”
Rhonda reported the incident to the Forest Hill police but said she just wanted her eagle back.
“I want them to give it back and get a life, it is a crime,” she said.
“If you are embarrassed just come back in the dead of night and drop it back in the garden.”
The bizarre theft has left both Rhonda and George completely baffled.
“What is the point of stealing it?” Rhonda said.
“It is so heavy and so large it is hard to fit in a car and it would have been so difficult to carry.
“Also how would he have been able to bring a life-size bald eagle statue home and not have people asking where it came from?”
A police spokesman said the theft was being investigated and urged anyone with information to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
PICTURES: All the action from the Moe Cup 2024
Punters and fashionistas had a thrilling day of action at this year’s Ladbrokes Moe Cup, a “race that stops the Latrobe Valley”. See the pictures.
Churchgoers question Manningham council candidate’s campaign tactics
Templestowe parishioners have questioned the campaign tactics of a Manningham council candidate who they say handed out flyers at their services after being asked not to.