Lost African grey parrot reunited with Wahnapitae family after escape

For the Belanger family in Wahnapitae,it is important to let their pet parrot Rocki enjoy some time out of his cage. But earlier this week, things took a dramatic turn when their eight-year-old African grey parrot couldn't find his favourite perch on the kitchen fridge,andhe slipped out an open door into the outside world.

Rocki's owner Kassandra Belanger said the house was under renovationand the kitchen wasn't in the same order, which causedconfusion for the bird.

"When he was flying, he was trying to land on the fridge, but he decided to go out the door.And the kids tried to catch him but he flew right over to our neighbour's house," said Belanger.

After some time near the neighbour's house, Rockiflew even farther until he was out of sight. This was Monday, Aug. 12, and Belanger would take the next two days off work to try to find her beloved pet.

"It was impossible. We looked in all the trees, we called for him using his calling, we tried to get his attention with treats, but it was devastating," she said.

"My kids knew there was a possibility that Rocki could die."

Days had passed with no sign of the missing parrot, when suddenly, at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, she got a phone call from someone who said they had Rocki, 10 kilometresaway from Belanger's home.

"I broke into tears, I was so excited. At first I thought it was a joke," said Belanger.

The discovery

At camp in Red Deer Lake, Mike Blomme was checking his minnow traps ahead of a day of fishing, when he heard a bird fly over his head and land near him.

Its grey and red plumage was striking, and he ran to get his camera to take a picture of the unusual species. He then brought down a slice of bread to feed the bird. While Rocki was eating, Blomme scooped him up.

"I brought him up and showed my wife, and she said 'oh my goodness, somebody must've lost him,'" said Blomme in an interview.

The Blomme family immediately got to work,searching for the bird's owners. Mike asked his daughter to post on Facebook in hopes of finding Rocki's owners, and within an hour,Kassandra Belangerwas on her way over to identify the bird.

"MaybeI'm the first person he saw, and he said 'oh gee, maybe that guy will give me a plate to eat,'" said Blomme.

According to World Animal Protection UK, Africangrey parrots have an average lifespan of 60 years. Since they have such long lives, sometimes they outlive their human owners,meaning that they may have to be rehomed several times in their lives.

Besides a little scratch on his stomach, Rocki was in good condition when he was found, Belanger said.

Rocki was rescued from a hoarding situation, so he hadn't flown outside for an extended period before his escape.

"We didn't know he could fly like that. He doesn't usually fly, so when we found him, he was so happy and talkative,"Belanger said.

Some bird owners will have their pets' wings clipped, which removes some of their feathers and limits their ability to fly away quickly. According to the Canadian chapter ofVeterinary Centers of America, birds can still use their clipped wings to flutter gently to the ground if they should fall.

However, this remains a controversial topic among bird owners, with some calling it cruel or stressful for the animal. Clipping has to happen after each molt cycle, which can happen every one to three months.

Belanger said Rocki had been clipped before, but she plans to bring him to the vet soon for a fresh clipping, to prevent a similar scare in the future.