Despite 40,000 flyers being distributed, there has been no news of August, the African Grey Parrot. There will be a reward of $1000 if August is found, says STOMPer Alice.
In an email to STOMP today (Aug 22), the STOMPer says:
"We are still searching for August. 40,000 flyers have been distributed, yet there has been no news. August is an African Grey Parrot.
"August is extremely smart and playful. He is the one that kept us accompanied in 2006, the saddest moment in our lives where we lost one of our immediate beloved family members. Bond and love for August has deepened, as days go by.
"He has grey feathers with a bright red tails and dark black peak. There is a birth identification ring on his leg. He is also very talkative.
"Last seen at Choa Chu Kang Street 51, opposite Warren Golf Country Club, Jul 31, 2009, 10 pm.
"There will be a reward of $1000 if August is found."
The African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is one of the iconic species of the trade in pet parrots. Hailing from the rainforests of West and Central Africa, this species is unfortunately still captured from the wild in large numbers.
(Photo by Barra1man)
Parrots are generally considered to be highly intelligent birds, but the African grey parrot stands out as particularly gifted, and research on African grey parrots has helped shed some light on parrots' cognitive abilities and capacity for abstract thought. The talking parrot isn't always dumbly mimicking sounds and noises, but might instead betray complex thought processes. The famous Alex and Einstein are notable examples:
Here in Singapore, the African grey parrot has been recorded on at least 2 occasions. The first ever record was an individual seen at Kent Ridge Park in November 1992, while there have been other sightings in the Changi Beach and Tanglin areas.
(Photo by Orkakorak)
It seems unlikely that this species will ever become established in Singapore; it would appear that escapes occur too infrequently for breeding to occur. However, the fact that African grey parrots can live for as long as 50 years does make it possible for a population to eventually establish itself under the right conditions. If a solitary escapee manages to survive in the wild long enough to eventually encounter a compatible partner of the opposite sex, breeding is a possibility.
