Jimmy the Macaw The local pet store recently rennovated. With the new space came an entire area dedicated to housing and displaying various pet birds - waiting to be adopted and taken to their new homes. Before this, the pet store had only sold feed and supplies, not live animals. On one of my regular visits to check up on a recovering cinammon cockatiel, I discovered a new row of large cages. There was a baby Umbrella Cockatoo, a green parrot, a noisy Conure, and a Blue and Gold Macaw. I spent some time talking to each bird, but gravitated towards the big Macaw. One day he was perched on top of his cage, the door unlocked. I greeted him with some bird grunts that my lovebird makes. He responded with his own gutteral noises, some laughing and general interest. As he ambled over to the door of his cage, I noticed he had only dry food on his playpen, and no water - that was inside. He was probably thirsty. I cracked open the door for him, so he could get inside and take a drink. "Hey, who let Jimmy out?!" a 20-something-ish employee yelled from another aisle. I stood there, with my hands behind my back. "He was already out when I saw him. I think he wants to go back inside." A couple of shop guys come over. One with a rag and an attitude, the other with a small cardboard hamster box to put over Jimmy's head. Jimmy is on full-alert now. He climbs back up onto his cage-top playpen and readies for the confrontation. There is quite a crowd gathered to watch these two bird-novices try to capture the big Macaw and get him back in his cage. Taunting him with the box just makes Jimmy more aggitated. They manage to put the rag over his head and shoulders, the giant hedge-cutter beak is snapping at their hands. With his head covered, they attempt to pry his muscular feet off the perch. Too afraid of getting chunks of their fingers removed, they give up. A by-standing girl suggests they grab Jimmy by the wings. Stupid, cruel girl! I watched in horror, as they continued to jab a stick at his beak. Finally, they give up and leave. Show's over. Jimmy and I are alone again. He's calmed down now. We make noises at eachother. I open the cage door again - wide. Jimmy carefully climbs down and goes inside. I shut the door. Mean Shop Guy #1 notices that Jimmy is in the cage now. "Dude! Get a lock!" Mean Shop Guy #2 comes over. He fiddles with the broken latches, gives me a look and goes off to find a lock. 2 days later... I've come to visit Jimmy again. I'm convinced that he is hand-tamed because he raised his foot, waiting for a human perch, when I gave him the "Step up" command. Today his cage is moved near the front of the store - no longer with the other large birds. He's out playing on top of his playpen. I greet him, he remembers me. The door on his cage has been removed entirely. Strange. We talk for awhile. Then Employee Jeff comes over. We chat while he plays with Jimmy. He's the first person I've seen who is able to approach the big bird. Jimmy laughs while Jeff scratches his belly and head, enjoying the attention. I find out that Jimmy is about a year old and was transfered from another store 2 months ago. I don't find out whether he was hand-tamed, hand-fed or who the breeder was. Jeff leaves. Jimmy hears another bird in the back and lets out an ear-shattering "Caw-Caw! Caw!" You cannot help but flinch when you are 2 feet from a bird who can scream that loud. Jimmy is really excited now, so I leave and make my way to the row of big bird cages. While I'm chatting with the Green Parrot and the Baby Cockatoo, I notice that there's a dead parakeet laying at the bottom of the parakeet cage. It's cagemates are jumping around him, chittering and flapping their wings. Have they never seen a dead cagemate before? Did he just die? I stare at the still little shape. The Nice Bird Guy is stacking empty aquariums. "Uh, Jeff? There's a dead parakeet in the bottom cage." As I head towards the exit, I see Jeff go back to the cages with a small, clear, plastic bag. I leave quickly because I don't want to see the parakeet in that plastic bag. :: more Stories ============================================