Missing bird traced via Facebook

Coimbatore: A lost ‘African Grey Parrot’, which went missing during a 'flight for life' from chasing crows a month ago, was traced through social media in Coimbatore. 

The bird, named ‘Pepper’, had lost its way on July 15, when its casual fly ended up tragically after crows gave a chase. Though 'Pepper' escaped miraculously from the jaws of death, it flew away from its known territory eventually losing its way. 

The bird's owner, Sabreena, 18, studying final year Hotel Management and Catering in a private College in Coimbatore and daughter of Sadiq, 51, a nature conservationist from Avarampalyam said that the bird could not be found thereafter. 

“I developed a fondness for the bird ever since I received the bird as a gift from a family friend for my birthday. Pepper was not caged and its wings were not clipped, but still the bird never flew away. It too got so attached to me,” said Sabreena.  

On July 15, while Sabreena was feeding Pepper outdoors, it took a long flight in the open sky. “My Pepper kept circling the sky at a visible distance, indeed for the first time to my excitement, suddenly a flock of crows came its way and began to chase. Pepper got really frightened and flew away out of my vicinity. It never returned then,” she said. 

As her lovable bird went missing, Sabreena grew almost anxious with thoughts of Pepper haunting her day and night. “Infact she stopped going to college and went back home to our house in native Ooty. Even I got depressed on seeing her skipping food quite often and remaining sleepless. I took her to doctor for a couple of counseling sessions,” said Sadiq.   In an effort to trace the missing bird, the disheartened family gave advertisements in news papers and also posted messages on Facebook. Things moved positive then, as Sadiq received a message from his friend in Salem saying that an unknown person from Coimbatore posted a picture of a ‘grey parrot’ on Facebook.