Obiter – 17 October
Parrot yearning In a flap over his long lost parrot, a US man has asked a Washington Court to allow him to question the bird he claims is rightfully his on the witness perch.David DeGroff
Parrot yearning
David DeGroff alleges that D.C. Animal Shelter, in May this year, wrongly adopted out an African Grey parrot he believes to be his beloved Loulou, which only a month earlier flew the coop.
He recently filed a lawsuit to reclaim the parrot, but is struggling to prove it is indeed Loulou. However, DeGroff says a demonstration of the bird’s vocal repertoire, which includes the ability to hum TV theme songs and recite cute phrases, before the court will close the case once and for all.
In addition to being reunited with his feathered friend, DeGroff is also chasing US$15,000 from the shelter for pain and suffering he claims was a result of its decision to give the bird away to Newburg resident Nina Weaver.
Prior to hatching court proceedings, DeGroff visited Weaver’s home where he caught a glimpse of the bird through an open window and was immediately convinced of its identity.
“She seemed like she tried to communicate with me,” he said.