Dubai: Indian family offers Dh4,000 reward for lost talking parrot

An Indian family, who spent more than Dh7,000 to fix their pet parrot’s broken leg, are now offering Dh4,000 for its safe return after the bird flew off through an open balcony door and disappeared.

The incident took place on Monday at the family’s Bur Dubai home, around 3pm.

Pet owner Arun Kumar has since made desperate pleas for any sightings of their beloved African Grey called Mitthu.

“We are distraught. Mithu is like a family member. He’s been with us for 12 years now. I don’t know how we could possibly manage without him. My parents are particularly close to him,” Kumar told Khaleej Times.

He said the pet was sitting on a walking stick in their living room when the window of an upper floor apartment slammed shut with a loud bang.

“Mitthu got frightened by the noise. Its natural survival instinct kicked in and he just took off. Unfortunately, the wind was fierce yesterday so it could have been blown far away. We are offering a Dh4,000 reward to anyone who finds him. He has a silver band on his left foot with a number on it,” he said.

The African Grey is one of the most popular bird pets in the region because of its longevity and ability to mimic speech and sounds.