African Grey Takes a Four-Year Vacation and Returns Speaking Espanol

When a typically chatty African grey parrot flew his coop four years ago, he had a proper British accent, says Nigel’s owner, the bird-friendly named Darren Chick.

But when the two were reunited in Torrance last week, Chick discovered Nigel was in desperate need of a name change.

Say something like Norberto. Or Paco.

Because now Nigel speaks Spanish!

• Read the amazing story in the Torrance Daily Breeze.

The reunion was a South Bay effort. The veterinarian who did the sleuthing to find Chick, lives in Redondo Beach and is an associate veterinarian at Pointe Vicente Animal Hospital in Rancho Palos Verdes. Nigel was originally sold at Animal Lovers in Torrance, where ironically, the hero vet, then a vet tech, was microchipping pets for their new owners at the time of the sale.

That’s right, she microchipped Nigel when was just a wee parrot.

Or, a pajarito.

PHOTO Patch file photo (not Nigel).

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