Rescued Cockatoo Flies For First Time in 16 Years

Maloo the cockatoo’s family abandoned him after 16 years. The poor bird was shaken by the sudden disappearance of everything and everyone he had ever known. Thankfully, Maloo was rescued by Jezenia (@NaturallyCaptive), a parrot behaviorist in South Africa.

When Maloo first came home with her family, he was so distraught he wouldn’t look at her and kept searching the house for his former family. He would peer out the window and call for them, confused and heartbroken. It took two to three weeks before he began to trust and socialize with his new “flock.”

His new mom immediately started helping him rediscover what it meant to be a cockatoo—including giving him the chance to fly free for the first time in 16 years. Now every Wednesday, Jezenia takes him to a field, and Maloo gets so excited he exclaims, “I fly, I fly!” He’s free to fly around the yard at his home too.

Maloo is also remarkably intelligent. He laughs at dad jokes, seems to understand conversations and context, and often says the right thing at the right time. He even knows when someone is sad and needs a hug.

Today, thanks to love and patience, Maloo is not just surviving—he’s thriving.