Parrot That Whistles 'Stars and Stripes Forever' Snatched from Florida Sanctuary

For more than 15 years Snappy the African grey parrot has entertained visitors at Florida’s Flamingo Gardens by whistling tunes, mimicking cellphone ringtones and even wolf whistling at passersby.

Now, he’s singing a tune for someone else.

The 35-year-old bird was snatched from his Davie home on Saturday night. Officials at the wildlife sanctuary have made a public plea to get their beloved bird back.

“He’s not a particularly social bird, and has been living here happy and comfortable for so long, it pains me to think of him stressed out in a small or crowded cage waiting to be sold,” Laura Wyatt, Flamingo Garden’s curator of wildlife, was quoted in a media release as saying.

Selling the bird is a likely motive for the snatching, the sanctuary explained. African greys can go for as much as $1,500 in pet stores and on the black market. The sanctuary says that since it’s only legal to sell parrots that have been hatched and raised in captivity, an “illegal bird trade has become a big problem in Florida.”

African greys like Snappy are especially prized for their ability to mimic human speech. Congo African greys are especially rare hailing from the Ghana region of Africa.

The bird-napping took place sometime between 11 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday. When caregivers arrived at the sanctuary Sunday morning, they found a hole cut into Snappy’s exhibit area and the screen ripped away. The bird has called the sanctuary home for more than 15 years, ever since his owner surrendered him.

Anyone with information about Snappy’s whereabouts is asked to call Flamingo Gardens at 954-473-2955.

For more information about the 60-acre sanctuary, visit its website.

Photo Credit: Snappy the African grey parrot. Courtesy of Flamingo Gardens

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