Runaway parrot reunited with owner - after hailing a taxiA runaway parrot was reunited with her owner, after hailing a taxi.
African Grey Evie made a bid for freedom and escaped from the home she shares with owner Peter Jackson, 68, in Tamworth, Staffs, three weeks ago.
Thankfully, the pair were reunited after a life on the road proved too much for Evie, 11 – who decided to hail herself a lift home.
Cabbie Pete Knight was stunned when the bird flew onto his shoulder and shouted: ‘Hello!’
Although Evie’s conversational skills weren’t quite enough to tell Pete her address, he was able to reunite her with her worried owner.
Owner Peter had been frantically searching for 11-year-old Evie since escaping from her Tamworth home on Easter Sunday. He explained Evie was sitting on his shoulder while he was in the back garden, got spooked by something and flew away.
‘It was absolutely terrible when she took off. I got her so I would have some company after my wife passed away in 2013. I’m so grateful for what everyone has done and I’m absolutely thrilled to have her back – she’s my soul mate.’
Taxi driver Pete said: ‘She flew down and landed heavily about ten feet away from me then casually walked along the road right to my feet, looked up and me and said “hello”.
Evie had a few feathers missing and concerned Pete put his hand out to her. She jumped onto his hand, walked up his arm and then hopped onto his shoulder. He added: ‘My biggest concern was that she might fly off – I just wanted to get her to safety. I got into the car with her still on my shoulder and phoned a friend who was sat at the end of the phone waiting for a punchline as he thought I was joking.’
Luckily a friend knew someone with an aviary who could safely house her while Pete turned detective on Facebook in a bid to track down her owner.
Welfare Officer at charity Problem Parrots Rebecca Hartill-Speak spotted the post and contacted Pete and then launched an appeal online and in a local paper. Pete spotted the article and Rebecca liaised on his behalf to confirm it was Evie.
Peter said: ‘Evie seems very happy to be home and is back sitting on my shoulder chatting away, near my hearing aid, so I can hear her.’
Rebecca warned bird owners to take extra care in the warmer weather. She said: ‘Be very careful when you have parrots out of cages. Make sure that windows and doors are shut and that all people in the house are away you have a parrot.
‘Make sure that travel cages are locked and do not take your bird out without a harness or in a cage. When they get spooked their instinct is to fly away. If that unfortunately does happen, Problem Parrots are here to help.’
Read more:
http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/18/runaway-p ... z46CeczuTU
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