African Grey blows kiss, greets owners with ‘hello’ at emotional reunion
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The Indian businessman in Dubai, who spent over Dh7,000 to fix his pet parrot’s broken leg, gave away Dh4,000 for its safe return on Wednesday.
Arun Kumar had announced the reward to find his 12-year-old African Grey parrot, Mitthu, after the talking pet flew off through an open balcony door in their Bur Dubai apartment on Monday, much to the family’s heartbreak.
A hunt was immediately launched for the missing bird. Kumar distributed fliers in the neighbourhood and also offered a cash reward of Dh4,000 to anyone who could reunite him with his beloved pet.
Khaleej Times reported the incident.
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On Wednesday afternoon, Kumar got the call he had been desperately waiting for.
A Pakistani expatriate had found Mitthu with the help of his Indian friend and wanted to claim the reward.
Kumar said his family is overjoyed to have the pet back. “Mitthu is happy too. The moment he saw my dad, it started talking. It blew a kiss and greeted us with a hello,” he said.
“The man who found Mitthu and brought it back was stunned by the emotional reunion scenes. He said he was surprised to see the parrot talk, as it had kept mum while it was with them,” added Kumar.
“The last couple of days have been very difficult for us, especially my parents. It’s a huge relief to have Mitthu back. The joy is beyond words,” he said.
Last year, Kumar had spent more than Dh7,000 in Mitthu’s medical bills after it flew into a ceiling fan and got tangled in its fast-moving blades.
The accident left it with serious injuries including a fractured leg.
“Money is irrelevant. Mitthu is a dear family member,” added Kumar.
mazhar@khaleejtimes.com
Mazhar Farooqui, also known as Maz, is a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and Senior Editor at Khaleej Times. He has dedicated his life to relentlessly digging for the truth, exposing corruption, and uncovering mega scams.