In a first for Animal Management Officers Elle and Daniel, there was a very special reunion at the St Kilda Town Hall recently between South Melbourne resident Fionn and his much-loved macaw Jynx.
"I was so glad she was rescued by them. With their energy and warmth, they are really beautiful humans and I'm so grateful to them," Fionn said.
He feared the worst when, apart from a few initial sightings, the brilliantly coloured bird had been missing for five days after flying out an open door after being spooked by a vacuum cleaner.
Jynx, a "pandemic parrot", was adopted by Fionn from a wildlife rescue sanctuary when she was just four months old
Missing several toes and with a crooked beak, he nursed the bedraggled bird back to full health with hand-feeding and lots of love and cuddles.
"I was inconsolable. It broke my heart she was out there freezing and starving in Melbourne's coldest winter," he said.
Fionn called on his sisters Gwenydd and Emily to help launch a search to bring Jynx home - our Council was alerted and there were social media posts and search parties.
Days after initial reports that Jynx had spread her to wings to visit South Yarra and the Albert Park Golf Course, an office worker called Council to report a distressed bird in a tight gap between two South Melbourne high-rise buildings.
Elle and Daniel, who had been looking out for Jynx on their regular patrols, rushed out to rescue the missing macaw.
After navigating several obstacles with Daniel's help, Elle squeezed into the tiny space armed with gloves, sheet and towel and a pet carrier.
"It was so small I had to go most of the way sideways so I got my shuffle on," she laughed. Safely restrained, the missing bird's hijinx were over.
"There was a bit of a squawk but she was really good when I was cuddling her on the way out. I think she knew she was getting help and going home."
As Jynx is microchipped, a quick scan at the Town Hall to confirm she was the "real macaw" meant Fionn could be called as soon as possible to pick up his parrot.
As soon as Jynx saw her "dad", she crawled up his arm and nestled in his jumper. She was ready to go home after her big adventure.
"I didn't expect her to come back so I had a welcome home feast for her with her favourite food - top shelf vegetables and fruit and boiled carrot."
Now fully recovered from her ordeal, two-year-old Jynx and Fionn will hopefully have many years of fun and friendship ahead as he estimates she could live up to 60 years.
