FELIXSTOWE: Animal sanctuary owner Nettie Trigg was heartbroken when Percy the crow was stolen from her rescue centre three-and-a-half years ago.

She feared she would never see the bird she had nursed back to health again, and as each day, month and year ticked by it seemed likely he would not return.

Now – thanks to a phone call from friend Maureen Taylor, who runs the Mistley Place Park animal sanctuary – she has been reunited with the one-legged crow.

“I was talking with Maureen and she said we have had a crow come in you might be interested in taking on,” said Nettie, 67, who runs the Small Animal Rescue Centre in Russell Road, Felixstowe.

“She said he is quite a character, he has one leg which appears to have been removed professionally, and we have called him Percy.

“I couldn’t believe it – although the name was a pure coincidence, I said that could actually be my Percy that I lost. It must be. I just burst into tears.”

Although Mistley is only ten miles from Felixstowe as the crow flies, it is believed Percy had been dumped by someone at the centre as he was found in some hay in a shed.

“It is quite incredible to find him again and you cannot imagine how I feel – he was with me for two years and was very ill at first, and eventually had to have his leg removed, and after that he was fine and got back to full health,” she said.

“I went to collect him from Mistley and he was very weak, but he is much better now. I thought I would never see him again, and now I am so intrigued to know where he has been for the past three-and-a-half years. It would be wonderful to know his story.”

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