Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

For his missing parrot, owner offers ₹10K

- Smriti Malaviya letters@htlive.com ▪

ALLAHABAD: Parrots and humans share a special bond. Talkative that they are, these pets often become a part of family. So with Lily, the female parrot, flying out of cage and getting lost, the desperatio­n of owner Dinesh Babu and Grace (the male parrot) is understand­able. “Lily is a family. I am ready to do anything to get her back,” says the 1997-batch finance officer, who has announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for the person who brings his lost parrot back.

ALLAHABAD: Parrots and humans share a special bonding. Talkative that they are, these pets often become a part of family. So when Lily, a female parrot, flew out of her cage and got lost, the desperatio­n of owner Dinesh Babu and Grace knew no end.

“Lily is a family. I am ready to do anything to get her back,” says the 1997-batch finance officer, who has announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for the person who brings his lost parrot back.

He has also launched a search operation for the parrot in the city. Already, the parrot’s posters have been put up in different localities.

Dinesh Babu had bought a pair of African Congo Grey parrot three years back from Delhi when they were just a few days old. He had spent Rs 50,000 for getting the pair of the exotic birds.

“I treated them like my babies and named them Grace (the male parrot) and Lilly. I fed them imported food that suited their body. Lilly flew out on November 25 and is missing since,” says the officer who resides in Type IV Officer’s Colony, Shankar Ghat, Teliarganj.

“I felt the bird might be in a two-three kilometre radius and so I got the handbills printed and distribute­d them in the neighbourh­ood. The parrot’s posters were also pasted at important places in the city.”

But when that did not work, Dinesh Babu announced a reward. “I offer to pay Rs 10,000 to person who brings back Lilly. Money is nothing when one considers the emotional bond me and my family share with the parrots,” he says.

He claims he spends Rs 1000 per month on the parrots.“Good care of these parrots will give them a long life,” he says.

African Grey Parrot is probably the most popular pet bird and is known to be the most intelligen­t and talkative of the parrot family. They are gorgeous birds, well-known for their incredible intelligen­ce level.

 ??  ?? Poster of missing parrot along with the announceme­nt of reward and (right) file photo of parrot Lilly.
Poster of missing parrot along with the announceme­nt of reward and (right) file photo of parrot Lilly.
 ?? HT PHOTO ??
HT PHOTO

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India