Last week, John Gerka decided to give his beloved pet a bit of an adventure at a Coquitlam soccer field.
Unfortunately for the Gerka family, little Dury — a Congo African grey parrot — so loved that taste of freedom that it flew away and hasn't been seen since. The family has been searching desperately ever since and is hoping others might be able to help.
"I wanted him to fly a little bit but I underestimated him," Gerka said.
Dury, which also goes by the name Duro, has never had its wings clipped but in previous outdoor forays hasn't strayed far from the family. Gerka said the parrot would fly for a short time but quickly got tired, leading him to believe a trip to the soccer field would be safe.
But what Gerka didn't count on was Dury's reaction to being placed back in the box he was first shipped in from the breeder in eastern B.C. to the family 10 years ago.
"He probably remembers the scary box, I think that was the case," said Gerka, and in a panic flew from the Scott Creek middle school field into the trees lining the Coquitlam Crunch. "I thought if I was going to put him in the soccer field, he would fly a little bit, then get tired. But no, I was so surprised, he gets the wild instinct and flies so high, way too high. I didn't expect that."
Gerka followed Dury as far as he could but lost sight of the bird behind a large tree. He's returned to the area repeatedly to call for Dury but has not had any luck.
Having grown up in Slovakia, where Gerka said the sound of birds is "like a choir, an orchestra, it's so noisy," he's always been fond of the creatures. But it was his son who chose the Congo African grey parrot after researching the breed following a trip to the World Parrot Refuge on Vancouver Island.
The Congo African grey is said to be among the smartest birds on the planet and can function at a kindergartener's level. Gerka said Dury would hold conversations with family members, not just repeat words it was trained to say, and that even has a sense of humour.
• Anyone who spots Dury is asked to email [email protected].
[email protected]
@spayneTC
