EDITOR – My cockatiel Bubs, flew away on Thursday and I am offering a reward for his return.
Bubs is a 7-month-old hand-reared male cockatiel. I chose a name for him, but it never stuck, so I just call him Bubs or Baby Bird. He is grey in colour, with white specks, has a yellow crest and orange cheeks.
He has been hand-reared by myself since birth and is very attached to me. He is so spoilt that he still eats special baby bird porridge, premium seed and previously boiled water. He has lots of toys to keep him busy when I slip out of the house, but I have learned the hard way that computer keyboards make the best toys!
Bubs is very communicative and responds to me when I strike up a conversation with him – or anyone else, for that matter. But his favourite thing in the whole world is gentle cuddles and head scratches; he simple cannot get enough. Upon hearing my keys jingle at the front door, he will immediately start calling me and often fly off his perch to make a perfect landing on my head!
I spend many hours each day with Bubs perched on my shoulder, supervising my daily tasks and insisting on quality-checking, and often tasting, whatever food I am preparing or eating (provided that is is safe for cockatiel consumption).
He has recently got the hang of whistling tunes including Happy Birthday and Jan Pierewiet! This sweet little bird has crept into my heart and without him, I am lost. No words can describe how I feel to have lost my special little boy.
Since he accidentally flew off from our home in Smiso Nkwanyana (Goble) Road on Thursday, 28 July, I have scoured the Morningside neighbourhood, fixing reward posters to street poles, as well as dropping them into residents’ postboxes, in the hope that someone somewhere will know the whereabouts of my baby. My pedometer shows that I walked over 20km within the first 24 hours of his disappearance. And I won’t stop looking. So if you see a crazy bird lady walking up and down the streets whistling at nothing, that’s me!
I am offering a reward of R2 000 for the safe return of my Bubs.
I can be contacted by anyone with information on 083 777 5559, 031 303 6359 or lisette.abell@gmail.com.
Lisette Abell
Morningside
