"Please return my best friend :("

Abu is only six months old, but already knows how to ask for food and recognise his owners.

It is an African Grey -- a species of parrot intelligent enough to perform certain tasks at the cognitive level of a four to six year old child.

It is also Abdul Rashid bin Zainudin's best friend.

Sadly, Abu is now missing:

The poster was spotted at Dover MRT.

But Rashid lives in Bukit Batok, a fair distance away.

And besides his own area and Dover, the notice was also pasted around Clementi, Jurong, and Queenstown.

Rashid promises a S$2,000 reward for returning Abu (an amount that could get him another parrot), or even to buy the potential finder another African Grey if he/ she intends to keep the parrot.

Below this message, a line reads "Please return my best friend :(".

Adopted the parrot as a baby

Speaking to Mothership.sg, Rashid shares that he had adopted Abu six months ago, when the African Grey was a baby.

Abu is affectionate towards humans, and will fly to his owners when given the correct cues.

He would also squeak for food when it's dark, either in the early hours of the morning or at night.

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Missing since Feb. 28

It has been almost a month since Abu is missing.

On Feb. 28, Abu was placed along the apartment's corridor and chained to the railing while Rashid's mum was making breakfast for the bird.

Sadly, they heard a snap halfway through, and Abu flew away.

Rashid has yet to find Abu.

If anyone spots an African Grey in the west, you can contact Rashid at 8288 4562 or 9220 8321.

Top image by Rashid

Here’s a totally unrelated but equally interesting story:

Are you a media freelancer? Were you promised better “exposure” instead of cash payment for your work?