A Bluffdale, Utah family is offering a $2,500 reward for the return of their African Grey parrot, Echo. Photo: screen grab KSLTV.
BLUFFDALE, Utah — Her African Gray parrot”did everything with us, everyday,” said Jackie Olson of Bluffdale, Utah, of her 16-year-old parrot, Echo.
“She’s very much a member of our family,” Olson told KSL TV’s Alex Cabrero.
The African Gray parrot Echo has been missing for weeks. The Olsons say she took advantage of an open back door at their home and hasn’t been seen since.
There are multiple posts online from individuals and even a county government agency trying to spread the word about this missing bird who reportedly speaks in English to Jackie and her husband Reo Olson.
The Olson’s are offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to Echo’s return. There are posters with the reward information posted all around their Bluffdale neighborhood.
Cabrero reports that one family thought they saw Echo at a nearby walking park, and that perhaps Echo had been taken from there. But nothing has come from that lead.
It is not uncommon for this breed of bird to form close ties with humans. According to National Geographic, these birds are among the smartest in the world. And of the 350 different breeds, the African Gray is the best at mimicking human speech. Their cognitive skills can be compared to those of a 5-year-old human child.