Perched on Albert Robin Savrimuthu’s hand is a stunning Catalina macaw with beautiful blue-green plumage and a bright yellow breast. As it moves closer to Albert, who can be seen talking tenderly to his pet, it is clear the pair has a special friendship.
Their relationship began when the bird was only a tiny baby. In fact, Albert had been the one who brought its parents – a blue-and-gold macaw, and a scarlet macaw – together.
The 35-year-old spent a lot of time caring for the hatchling, hand feeding it every three to four hours daily until it was four months old.
Albert and his wife Chalini Chandrasagaran decided to name the bird Mango when they noticed yellow feathers appearing on its little body. A subsequent DNA test revealed Mango is male.
“He slowly learnt to eat by himself and look at him now,” said Albert, who runs Jojo Pets World, a business selling exotic birds in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, with his wife.
Today, Mango is 18 months old and has grown very attached to his human.
“He gets jealous when he sees me interacting with other birds and shrieks to get my attention,” Albert said with a laugh, adding that he avoids playing with other birds in front of Mango so that his feathered companion doesn’t get upset.
Despite this, when Mango is left alone to mingle with other birds, he adapts well – to the extent that Albert even calls him a “social bird”.
When it comes to humans, however, Mango is more cautious. “He will first observe a person to see if they want to hurt him, and only warms up to them when he is comfortable.”
And, just like most people, Mango values his personal space and doesn’t like it when strangers touch him.
Albert describes his bird as energetic, playful and “manja”, and revealed that the clever boy also knows how to greet people with “hello”.
He has also successfully trained Mango to free-fly – unrestricted outdoor flight for birds who are trained to return to their owners.
“I feel very happy every time Mango returns to me after,” Albert said fondly.
When it comes to mealtimes, Albert ensures Mango enjoys a variety of foods so he doesn’t get bored.
His regular diet includes pellets, vegetables such as broccoli, carrot, sweet potato, and cauliflower, as well as fruits such as apple, banana, papaya – and, of course, mango!
“But what he really likes are almond nuts and, surprisingly, pasta,” Albert shared, adding that he also safeguards Mango’s health by bringing him for checkups every six months.
To other bird owners, he advised: “Make sure you look after them well and spend time with them or they will get lonely. They may even start plucking out their feathers when they try to express what they feel.
“Owning a bird is a commitment,” Albert concluded, “and Mango has been a good companion for my wife and me.”
Read more pet stories here.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.