[ SHOWGSD-L ] African Greys-non-GSD but fascinating
- From: cheradongsd@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:11:05 -0400
Hi all,
I know this isnt about GSD's but many of you probably have African Greys and I
just ADORE them.? I have GSD friends that have them and they are sooooooooooooo
smart--and I've been wanting one for YEARS but cant afford to buy one--and you
dont very often find a "free" one unless it is mean or something.
This is sad but fascinating.? I copied this article from the news--here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20723212/
Cheri
Cheradon
Gifted research parrot Alex found dead
Could count to six, identify colors and even express frustration
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:47 a.m. ET Sept 11, 2007
WALTHAM, Mass. - A gifted parrot that could count to six, identify colors and
even express frustration with repetitive scientific trials has died after 30
years of helping researchers better understand the avian brain.
The death of Alex, an African Grey parrot, left scientists at Brandeis
University feeling as if they'd lost a colleague.
"It's devastating to lose an individual you've worked with pretty much every
day for 30 years," scientist Irene Pepperberg told The Boston Globe. "Someone
was working with him 8 to 12 hours every day of his life."
Alex's advanced language and recognition skills revolutionized the
understanding of the avian brain.
After Pepperberg bought Alex from an animal shop in 1973, the parrot learned
enough English to identify 50 different objects, seven colors, and five shapes.
He could count up to six, including zero, was able to express desires,
including his frustration with the repetitive research.
He also occasionally instructed two other parrots at the lab to "talk better"
if they mumbled, though it wasn't clear if he was simply mimicking researchers.
Pepperberg said Alex hadn't reached his full cognitive potential and was
demonstrating the ability to take distinct sounds from words he knew and
combine them to form new words. Just last month he pronounced the word "seven"
for the first time.
The cause of Alex's death was unknown. The African Grey parrot's average life
span is 50 years, Pepperberg said.
She said Alex was discovered dead in his cage Friday morning. Pepperberg said
she waited to release the news until Monday so grieving researchers could get
over the shock and talk about it.
Pepperberg said the last time she saw Alex on Thursday, they went through their
goodnight routine, in which she told him it was time to go in the cage and
said: "You be good, I love you. I'll see you tomorrow."
Alex responded, "You'll be in tomorrow."
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