Fatty the Mitchell Park parrot returns home after three days on the run
RESIDENTS living near Mitchell Park Zoo are urged to be on the lookout for a macaw parrot named Fatty who escaped from his zoo enclosure. I Mitchell Park Zoo RESIDENTS living near Mitchell Park Zoo are urged to be on the lookout for a macaw parrot named Fatty who escaped from his zoo enclosure. I Mitchell Park Zoo
Durban - FATTY, the Mitchell Park Zoo macaw, has returned safely to his enclosure in Morningside after going missing for three days.
The parrot had escaped on Sunday.
Zoo management said the parrot had returned on Wednesday.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said,"The Parrot Fatty, has been found with the help of a neighbour who saw him when he came out to feed in his yard. He was taken back to Zoo and is in good health. The city would like to thank all those who showed concern for the welfare if the birds and the family who called in when they saw him," Mayisela said.
A second parrot also escaped, but also returned safely to the zoo on its own on Monday.
Fatty was seen on a tree in a garden on a private property near the zoo. Resident Kasia Parton said she had spotted the parrot in her garden on Nuttall Gardens Road on Monday. The parrot’s squawking caught her attention.
Mayisela said the zoo had wanted to bring in another macaw from the Umgeni Bird Park. They hoped that the new macaw’s squawk would encourage Fatty to return to meet the new arrival. However, this option was not explored because Fatty returned to the zoo.
Visitors to the zoo are familiar with the blue and yellow macaws. It’s a large, South American parrot. Typically the wings and tail are a beautiful blue, while the under feathers are yellow. It also has a green forehead, a white face, and a black beak.
Mayisela said investigations were under way to establish how the parrots had escaped. “All cages have a double-door system to prevent animals or birds from escaping,” he said.