The last macaw parrot left in the wild in Rio de Janeiro is called Juliet and, feeling lonely, goes to visit its fellows at the zoo
If until a few decades ago in Rio de Janeiro it was very common to spot colorful parrots flying among the trees of the city, today unfortunately the situation is very different. Now the few remaining specimens of Ara Ararauna, also known as the yellow and blue macaw, are found enclosed in the Rio's BioPark, in the district of São Cristóvão. And, apparently, for nearly two decades the only wild parrot left in the wild has been visiting captive kin almost every morning, perching on the enclosure to try to interact with the other parrots. According to some, it would be in search of love, which is why the zookeepers have renamed the specimen Juliet, but the animal is more likely to feel simply (and terribly) alone.
In reality, despite the female name, it is not clear whether the parrot in question is male or female since to verify this it would be necessary to subject the animal to genetic tests of feathers or to blood tests.
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A post shared by Neiva Guedes (@neivaguedes_)
The sad fate of Juliet and the other Ara Ararauna parrots
According to Neiva Guedes, president of the environmental association Hyacinth Macaw Institute, Juliet should have found a life partner several years ago, but unfortunately she never mated.
They are social birds, which means they don't like to live alone, whether in the wild or in captivity. They need company - explains Guedes - Most likely she feels alone, and for this reason she goes to the enclosure to communicate and interact ”.
Except for Juliet, the last official sighting of a blue and yellow macaw flying free in Rio de Janeiro dates back to 1818. Until 2000 the city was populated by Macaw of Spix, beautiful blue budgies that became famous thanks to the animated film "Rio", released in 2011. Unfortunately, however, this species also became extinct a few years ago.
Macaws Ararauna are endowed with a marked intelligence and can live up to 35 years. And it is really sad to think that Juliet will spend all this time alone, without a companion for life, while the other parrots will die in a cage ...
Source: AP/Instagram
Read all our articles on parrots:
- A parrot saves its owner's life in a fire by screaming his name while he slept
- Farewell to Spix's macaw, the blue parrot from the film Rio has gone extinct
- The biologist who saved the blue macaw parrot from extinction in 30 years
- The parrots moved from the nature park after insulting visitors
