RAMANATHAPURAM: A desperate search for an exotic pet parakeet that went missing five days ago had a happy ending for a meat trader and his family who were reunited with the crimson-bellied conure at Kenikkarai here on Monday.
Bousul Ameen, 41, worked as a back office assistant in Dubai for 13 years before returning to Ramanathapuram three years ago.
A resident of Kenikkarai, Ameen said, "My wife B Jesima and I are ornithophiles. Four years ago, she began to raise lovebirds. Today, we own several species of birds including conures, finches, country fowls, pigeons, ducks, sparrows and fighter cocks. Eventually, my 12-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son developed an interest in our hobby and grew close to the birds."
One-and-a-half years ago, Ameen bought a crimson-bellied conure, a species native to Africa, as a 10-day-old chick from a pet store in Chennai for Rs 30,000. Owing to its dark green plumage, the family named the chick 'Greeny', which joined the other birds in Ameen's aviary.
Five days ago, Greeny flew away after an encounter with a crow. "Greeny was taken out of the enclosure and was being prepared for a bath in an open space. When a crow tried to peck Greeny, the parakeet flew away and did not return. We looked out for Greeny all around the town and posted about the missing bird on social media, but in vain," said the owner.
In a desperate effort to find the bird, Ameen pasted posters about the missing parakeet, with its photograph, name and identification mark - a tag ring bearing the name 'Krish 23'.
The family's search for the exotic parakeet ended in a happy reunion with Greeny on Monday evening. A visibly joyous Ameen said, "After the news about the poster on the missing parakeet was telecast on Monday morning, I received a call from a young man living at Sitharkottai which is 14 kilometres away from Kenikarai. Recognising the tag ring on the bird's right foot, he said that he had the rescued bird with him and in the evening, the youth who is also a bird enthusiast handed over Greeny to us. We are extremely happy and thankful to him. The ecstatic kids said that Greeny's return called for a celebration with biryani. More importantly, the other birds in the aviary who missed the parakeet became super excited to have Greeny back and would not let her alone."
Credit for the reunion goes to Mohamed Al Hajiri, 25, from Sitharkottai. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Hajiri, a mechanical engineer, said, "Five days ago, I had gone to collect rent from the shopkeepers at the building (lassi shop) in Vandikaara Street in Ramanathapuram town that we owned." The domesticated bird had taken refuge in the building and the shopkeepers were clueless about keeping it safe and well-fed, he added.
"I am a bird enthusiast and am quite familiar with the exotic conure species. I offered to take the conure under my care and the shopkeepers consented. The same day, I shared photos of the bird with my group of friends, through WhatsApp, asking them to alert me if they come across the owner looking for it. On Monday afternoon, a friend living in Malaysia saw the news about Ameen searching for his pet and recognised it with the tag ring. He later informed me about the poster that carried the mobile numbers," Hajiri explained.
When asked why he took the pain to travel 14 kilometres to hand over the parakeet rather than asking the owner to receive it from him, Hajiri said, "I know that the market value of the conure is at least Rs 25,000 as I myself tried to buy one (sun conure). So, I wanted to ensure that the parakeet reaches its rightful owners and was in safe hands. At the end of the day, the happiness on the faces of Ameen and his family was priceless."
Speaking to The New Indian Express on the domestication of exotic birds, a forest department official said that it was not illegal to raise them but since last year, the owners of exotic birds are required to inform and register their ownership with the concerned forest range officer.