COCHRANE, Alta. — An Alberta family that has been looking for its beloved parrot since it flew the coop almost a year ago is hoping an unexpected tip could lead to the feathery fugitive’s whereabouts.
Fruit Loop flew out of an open door when company was visiting the Van Hoeve home in Cochrane west of Calgary last July.
Evelyn Van Hoeve says someone unexpectedly came in through a back door while the family’s parrots were out of their cage and Fruit Loop flew off.
She says the family looked for months for the Alexandrian parrot, but Fruit Loop couldn’t be found.
The Van Hoeves were in a pet store in Red Deer, Alta., recently when an employee told them a woman had come in with a story about a parrot flying through her window and landing on her shoulder about six months ago.
Red Deer is about 165 kilometres from Cochrane, but Van Hoeve says it’s not completely out of the question that Fruit Loop could have made the trip.
“I’ve heard they are really good fliers,” she said. “It’s rare, but there are the odd parrots that, after a year, you do find them. The only chance of survival that Fruit Loop would have had would have actually been to fly through somebody’s window.”
No one has taken the loss harder than Bob, an African grey parrot who is Fruit Loop’s best buddy.
“Bob did a lot of grieving. He would do a lot of pacing back and forth, saying, ‘Fruit Loop! No flying! No flying!'”
The Van Hoeves have taken out an ad in Red Deer hoping city residents will get in on the search.
“We’ll see where it goes,” Van Hoeve said. “Even if we don’t get him back, knowing that he’s still alive would be awesome.”
Anyone with information about Fruit Loop is asked to call the Van Hoeves at 403-333-1964.
The Canadian Press
