[WATCH] Parrot steals GoPro in New Zealand, films journey

A family in New Zealand got an unexpected bird's eye view of a trail after a mischievous parrot stole their GoPro and took flight.

The family just finished exploring part of the Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park, South Island, when the kea -- a native New Zealand species of large parrots-- grabbed their GoPro and flew off, reports CNN.

They had turned on the device to film a group of the curious birds, who had joined them outside of the hut they were staying at, reports CNN quoting Alex Verheul, one of the family members, as saying in interview with broadcaster Seven Sharp on Thursday.

The kea took flight with the device, capturing aerial footage of the landscape before settling on some ground and tapping at the gadget repeatedly with its beak.

At one point, the bird can be seen ripping off a chunk of plastic from the camera casing.

Remarkably, the GoPro survived its ordeal and a family member managed to recover it.