A Fife family are pining for the return of their pet lovebird after it took flight from their home on Hogmanay.
Mum-of-two, Laura Murray, has made a desperate plea for any sightings of the five-year-old orange and green coloured bird called Scooter, which escaped through an unlocked window at her home in Inverkeithing’s Cochrane Avenue.
Despite a number of reported local sightings and attempts to capture the errant pet, the exotic bird is still at large and concerns are now growing for its welfare as temperatures plummet in Fife.
Having scoured the area, Laura said hopes are now fading of reuniting Scooter with his female partner, Chip, which remains at home all alone.
“We are all devastated as we’ve had him for five years and he’s treated as one of the family,” said Laura.
“I’d split the birds up as they were pecking at each other and put Scooter in a spare room.
“But when I came back to check on him he’d escaped through an unlocked window that must have blown open.
“My nine-year-old daughter, Grace, is very upset as he’s been around since she was small.
“I’m worried sick as I’m not sure it’ll survive the freezing temperatures as Scooter has always lived indoors and is used to me having the heating on all the time.”
Laura said they family came close to recapturing Scooter after he returned to sit on the open cage left in the garden.
They have left food out and even played recordings of lovebirds in a bid to attract him back but all tempts so far have failed.
“I’ve posted appeals on social media and we’ve had a couple of people in Inverkeithing report sightings in the first couple of days but nothing since,” said Laura.
“We just want news of his whereabouts and are offering a £50 reward for information that will help find him.”
Social and affectionate creatures, lovebird is the common name for the Agapornis collection within the parrot family which mostly originate from African continent.
The lovebird name derives from the bird’s monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds spend sitting together.
In the wild they survive on fruit, vegetables, grasses and seeds.
Anyone who thinks they may have seen Scooter, who will be easily recognised by his bright orange and green plumage, is urged to message Laura via her Facebook page.
