The day he flew the coop, Nigel spoke English with a distinguished British accent. Four years later, he communicates in Spanish and goes by Larry.
The African Grey parrot has obviously seen a lot since he disappeared from Darren Chick's Torrance, California, home. Nigel's long journey home started when the owners of a dog spa in Torrance heard whistling outside, and after investigating found the parrot. "He was the happiest bird," Julissa Sperling told The Daily Breeze. "He was singing and talking without control.... He was barking like the dogs. I'm from Panama and he was saying, 'What happened?' in Spanish."
Sperling saw an ad from a veterinarian named Teresa Micco looking for her missing African Grey, Benjamin, and thought it could be the parrot she rescued. She took him to Micco's office, where he was scanned for a microchip. It wasn't Benjamin, but the microchip led Micco to Animal Lovers pet store, which eventually led to Chick. Micco went to his house to let him know his bird had been found.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The reunion wasn't as heartfelt as it could have been — Nigel bit Chick — but Micco said the bird will get used to being with his old owner again soon. During her quest to find Benjamin, Micco has brought five African Grey parrots back to their rightful owners, and she hopes "that karma is going to come back."
-
Conservative megadonors build a new bank thanks to Trump administration approvalIN THE SPOTLIGHT With a Lord Of The Rings-inspired name, and the backing of some of the biggest GOP financiers around, Erebor Bank is set to make major waves in the crypto world
-
Political cartoons for October 20Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include a $40 billion bailout for Argentina, Prince Andrew's titles, chaos at the CDC, and more
-
From Da Vinci to a golden toilet: a history of museum heistsIn the Spotlight Following the ‘spectacular’ events at the Louvre, museums are ‘increasingly being targeted by criminal gangs’
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
