The bond that forms between us and our pets strengthens over time, making it difficult for us to be apart from them. Some pet owners experience separation anxiety when their pets leave them or pass away. This is the story of 102-year-old Minerva Castellano, a grandmother in Córdoba, Colombia, who begged for help to retrieve her pet, a parrot named Vitricio who had been with her for five decades.
The parrot has given her the best memories of her late husband, Miguel del Toro, who died more than ten years ago. Since his arrival at Minerva’s house in 1970, the parrot has been her best friend, witnessing the births of dozens of children as well as nearly fifty grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The police decided to seize Vitricio, and now that the parrot is in their custody, Minerva has a broken heart.
Minerva’s granddaughter, Eliana Guerrero, told local media that the parrot had a problem with one of its wings and took it to Monteria City for treatment. “On November 2, the day Vitricio was taken from us, I arrived at the Terminal in Monteria and was immediately approached by the Police,” Guerrero said. They informed me that they would confiscate the parrot because it was a protected species.
“I told them this parrot had been with my family for 50 years, but they didn’t care,” she explained. Minerva was unable to care for the parrot due to her age, and her grandson was the one who looked after her, but she was greatly affected by its absence. Minerva’s granddaughter stated that her grandmother constantly asked her if the bird had returned and that “her bird hasn’t visited her yet.”
In a video the family posted on social media, Minerva is seen calling Vitricio to offer him a banana, and when she notices that her parrot is not enjoying the food he enjoys so much, he is in a sad mood. Eliana stated that they chose not to inform her grandmother about the parrot’s capture for her grandmother’s sake. “The parrot adores me and refuses to eat unless we’re together, so I’m afraid he’ll die.”
“We also don’t want to tell grandma because she might get sick,” Eliana explained. The family said they were aware of the importance of preserving the species, but Eliana explained that they were aware that animals from the wild should not be in the house, but Vitricio was never locked up . “Vitricio was always free,” she said, referring to the parrot’s presence in the yard.
Eliana stated that Vitricio has been a member of her family since before the laws prohibiting the keeping of these animals at home were enacted. All they want is for the police to be made aware of their grandmother’s situation. Although some argue that no one should have a wild parrot in their home, Vitricio is free to move indoors and has been accustomed to receiving love and protection from all family members for a long time.