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Alex has died (African Grey Parrot)
The Alex Foundation ^ | Sept . 7 2007 | Arlene Levin-Rowe - Pepperberg

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 ...


TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: africangrey; alex; parrot
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To: grjr21

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).


21 posted on 09/08/2007 12:12:50 PM PDT by lapster
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To: grjr21
What's Alex's story? Couldn't find anything about him on the website except that he was involved in some kind of language training. Was he a rescue bird? If so, what were the circumstances of his rescue? How old was he? How large was his birdy vocabulary, etc.?

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.

22 posted on 09/08/2007 12:13:07 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: skinkinthegrass
Prolific sh•tters... from what I hear.
23 posted on 09/08/2007 12:14:18 PM PDT by johnny7 ("But that one on the far left... he had crazy eyes")
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To: grjr21
The Foundation helps provide funding for Dr. Irene Pepperberg's work with African Grey's - Alex, Griffin, and Arthur (aka ''Wart''). Dr. Pepperberg has developed training techniques that enable Grey parrots not only to produce, but also comprehend and use English speech appropriately. She has also shown that these birds can perform as well as chimpanzees and dolphins on many tasks used to evaluate intelligent behavior....

'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

24 posted on 09/08/2007 12:15:03 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (just b/c your paranoid, doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you....run, Fred, run. :^)
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To: grjr21
I guess I shouldn't post this video.
25 posted on 09/08/2007 12:15:06 PM PDT by JRios1968 (Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will. - Ben Stein)
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To: grjr21
I was just telling someone a couple of days ago how intelligent African Grey parrots are after seeing a hilarious video on YouTube. Marv the African Grey Breaks It Down For You The 'owner' of Alex got him 30 years ago so it is like losing a 'family' member. From the website:
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.

26 posted on 09/08/2007 12:16:44 PM PDT by arasina (So there.)
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To: grjr21

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.


27 posted on 09/08/2007 12:18:28 PM PDT by Global2010 ( Romney/Hunter 08)
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To: arasina

He’s not that smart. He sold me an 8ball once and only gave me $11 change for a $20.


28 posted on 09/08/2007 12:18:30 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: Abby4116
but extremely intelligent animals. He will be missed....I stand, corrected. :/
29 posted on 09/08/2007 12:18:35 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (just b/c your paranoid, doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you....run, Fred, run. :^)
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To: LibFreeOrDie
“From another Web site: life span of African Greys is 50-70+ years.”

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.

30 posted on 09/08/2007 12:19:07 PM PDT by AlexW (Reporting from Bratislava, Slovakia. Happy not to be back in the USA for now.)
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To: grjr21

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?


31 posted on 09/08/2007 12:21:05 PM PDT by alloysteel (Never attribute to ignorance that which is adequately explained by stupidity.)
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To: LibFreeOrDie
Large parrots will live to be 70 years old. A couple that I know have left provisions in their wills for the parrots because they expect the birds to outlive them.

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.

32 posted on 09/08/2007 12:21:46 PM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde
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To: Dysart

She has been studying and writing papers on their cognitive language for 30yrs.


33 posted on 09/08/2007 12:24:30 PM PDT by Global2010 ( Romney/Hunter 08)
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To: grjr21
OK, I'll be the first:


34 posted on 09/08/2007 12:26:37 PM PDT by NY.SS-Bar9 (DR #1692)
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To: grjr21

35 posted on 09/08/2007 12:27:07 PM PDT by Libloather (That's just what I need - some two-bit, washed up, loser politician giving me weather forecasts...)
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To: SandRat; KingVanity

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.


36 posted on 09/08/2007 12:30:03 PM PDT by Global2010 ( Romney/Hunter 08)
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To: LibWhacker; alloysteel
Alex is not my bird , I just admire over achievers. Here is more about him in Wiki and there is a video of him on Scientifc AmericanFrontiers


 

37 posted on 09/08/2007 12:32:10 PM PDT by grjr21
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To: Abby4116

It sounds interesting I saved the site to our fave files so that we can check it out further.


38 posted on 09/08/2007 12:32:15 PM PDT by Global2010 ( Romney/Hunter 08)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde

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.)


39 posted on 09/08/2007 12:32:46 PM PDT by LibFreeOrDie (L'Chaim!)
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To: JRios1968

You are soooo bad.


40 posted on 09/08/2007 12:34:55 PM PDT by pax_et_bonum
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