The owner of a lost African grey parrot said he would “pay anything” to get it back. Zardasht Banay said his family are devastated by the loss of Abou, which flew away when the door was left open at his home in Al Furjan, Dubai, on August 31. He and his wife spent the night searching for the two year-old bird, which can copy any sound he is asked to. “We searched until morning. He flew at 6pm and we continued searching until 4am, until we couldn’t continue,” said Mr Banay, who is from Iraqi Kurdistan. The family have had Abou since he was six months old. He was initially bought for his 12-year son, Arya, but everyone loves him, said Mr Banay. “The first two days my three boys were constantly crying, even me and my wife. Because he was really like a member of our family. He was talking to us. He could repeat anything. It was so easy for us to tell him what to say,” he said. They were advised to clip his wings when they bought the bird, but decided against it as he liked to fly around the house. “On August 31, I was planning to go with my wife to physiotherapy and to go for some shopping. I opened the door and the main gate and I was inside my car waiting for my wife. In that time he flew away outside the house,” he said. “He flew very high. We couldn’t even see him. We ran after him.” The family has put up posters all over the neighbourhood, offering a reward of Dh3,000 for Abou's safe return, but have had no concrete leads so far as to his whereabouts. “Not to exaggerate but if someone called me to say they had my parrot I would tell him to ask for anything. If he needed a car or whatever, I would give it to him. “I am very serious because I know the level of the gap he leaves, the emptiness and pain he left.” Anyone who has seen Abou, which is grey with a red tail, can call 050 211 0131.
