Posted on 09/08/2007 11:55:49 AM PDT by grjr21
We are deeply saddened to announce Alex died Friday morning, September 7, 2007, of unknown causes.
We will have a formal press release on Monday when we know the cause of death. He was absolutely fine yesterday and he was found dead this morning.
Dr. Pepperberg will take the weekend to mourn his death.
We hope to have more information on Monday We miss him so much.
Thank you, Arlene Levin-Rowe - Pepperberg Lab Manager and the Pepperberg Lab Staff
(Excerpt) Read more at alexfoundation.org ...
I can well imagine that losing a pet you have had for 30 years must be heart wrenching. My boy Baron (120-pound Doberman) has now reached the decade mark (the outside range, I am told, for Dobermans). And when he goes part of my heart will be interred with him (though, frankly, I would rather inter a large part of Michael Vick’s heart instead).
I'm sorry you lost him. I know how attached people can get to their birds. My brother has owned one for twenty years. That bird hates almost everybody except my brother, and for some strange reason, me.
'E, still hasn't done anything really useful...not tricks....like knownly; opening a beer can/starting a fire....building a road...operating a power drill....using a computer....log_in on FR... *thinking*....nevermind. :D
Dr. Pepperberg purchased Alex from a Chicago pet store in June, 1977. He can label seven colors, is learning the alphabet and can count up to six objects. Alex is also working on identifying objects from photographs. Alex likes cardboard boxes, keychains, and corks.
Wow this I think is the first obit notice posted here at FR for a beloved Parrot.
May he fly over the rainbow bridge.
God Bless and comfort his grieving owner.
He’s not that smart. He sold me an 8ball once and only gave me $11 change for a $20.
Many parrots live a very long life.
In Memphis, there was an old guy of 80 with a liquor store on Front Street. I bought from him back in the 60s.
He had a Parrot that was over 50. I think he claimed it was close to 100.
He said the secret was to never give them anything with salt.
I think the parrot came from central America and had been in his family for many years.
I understand those who were well acquainted with the parrot grieving for their loss, but at the risk of sounding insensitive, this is the first I have heard of the parrot Alex. Was he some kind of movie star, or did he have a talk show maybe?
I have a cockatiel that is 10 years old and we expect to have her another ten years or more. She talks up a storm, fusses at the dogs and is just like another member of the family.
She has been studying and writing papers on their cognitive language for 30yrs.
Ping son.
Sounds interesting and thanks for sharing.
Now that KV is homebound due to medical physical issues but has a very active mind we found a place to purchase lectures by known Professors.
One he is interested in is the history of communication, Alex’s story might be of interest.
I think it is awesome now that he cannot attend seminars at the local Marine Biology Center for OSU that we have an oppertunity to by whole series of lectures on many interesting fields.
Christmas gift figured out for another year.
It sounds interesting I saved the site to our fave files so that we can check it out further.
One of my cockatiels will be 15 years old in October. Never had a problem except for a bad molt a few years ago. He looked pretty ragged, but the vet said he was OK.
(For anyone looking for an inexpensive member of the parrot family as a pet, I highly recommend cockatiels. Sweet, funny, and affectionate. But folks have to devote time to them, since hand-raised birds are bonded to humans. They’re not meant to just look pretty in a cage, like finches.)
You are soooo bad.
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