Wolf-whistling parrot gives builders the blues!
CHEEKY AFRICAN GREY AT PET SHOP HAS SO PERFECTED THE CALL THAT COMPLAINTS WERE MADE ABOUT GROUP OF INNOCENT BUILDERS WORKING OPPOSITE THE STORE
A NOISY parrot ruffled a few feathers when his cheeky wolf-whistles at passersby were blamed on innocent nearby builders.
Ted, an African grey who is resident at Village Pets in Ashton-on-Mersey, has perfected the sound and has a repertoire of many others.
But when the Tesco Express opposite his shop brought in roof contractors, Ted’s victims wrongly complained to supermarket bosses that the workmen were responsible.
When the builders protested their innocence, staff worked out that it must be the parrot, who is well-known in the area for his antics.
Joan Higgins, 74, from Village Pets, said: “No-one knows how it started or how he picks these things up but Ted has been doing it a long time.
“At Tesco they got an email from head office complaining about the workmen but the men said it wasn’t them. “Then we realised it was Ted and we had a laugh about it. “The workmen were great and saw the funny side. Ted’s a bit of a local celebrity. “When the phone goes he says ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye,’ he can bark like a dog – he’s even picked up some swear words from somewhere.” Joan works in the shop with her son Mark, 51, following the retirement of her husband Les, 78. She has been there for 25 years and Ted has been with them for 16 years, having arrived aged one. But the one thing Joan has tried to teach him without success is to say ‘Merry Christmas’ every December. She added: “He is very cheeky and picks new things up all the time, it is wonderful having him here and very entertaining.” Emma Johnson, shift manager at the Tesco store, said: “There were complaints about wolf-whistling and it was quite serious.
“But as I discussed the complaint with the store manager we heard Ted from across the road as he is quite loud and it all fell into place.
“It gave us a big chuckle that Ted was getting everybody into trouble and head office saw the funny side.”
It gave us a big chuckle that Ted was getting everyone into trouble