A parrot asking for a beer is in no way any sort of natural behaviour.
Although a parrot saying "hello" isn't either, asking for a beer gives the message that a beer is an appropriate thing to give a bird and all you get is a cheap laugh from the audience.
And are you saying that drunks are the fan base of professional sports in America?
As I do visit every Sunday, after each and every show for the rest of the year I'll ask each and every kid how they were affected by what the cockatoo said. And for the most part, yes, try going to an NFL game.
Just in case you wanted to know the script (partially paraphrased)
Trainer: "We love baseball here in Cincinnati and during the seventh inning stretch what do we usuallt say?".
Cockatoo: "I want a beer"
Trainer: "What?"
Cockatoo: "I want a beer"
Trainer: "No, no; what do we really say?"
Cockatoo: "Take me out to the ball game."
As I do visit every Sunday, after each and every show for the rest of the year I'll ask each and every kid how they were affected by what the cockatoo said. And for the most part, yes, try going to an NFL game.
I don't believe I recall saying that but I do recall stating my boredom from walking the park nearly everyday. That's not how my mind is set this year because I got a summer job which requires me to work 6 days a week so my time frame for zoo time is very slim.
Just in case you wanted to know the script (partially paraphrased)
Trainer: "We love baseball here in Cincinnati and during the seventh inning stretch what do we usuallt say?".
Cockatoo: "I want a beer"
Trainer: "What?"
Cockatoo: "I want a beer"
Trainer: "No, no; what do we really say?"
Cockatoo: "Take me out to the ball game."
And this proves my original point exactly... it's not educational (at least in terms of educating people about animals) and the message is completely wrong with the cockatoo portrayed as more of a play thing than a wild animal.
I'm not looking for an argument here, but really don't think this message is an appropriate one for a serious zoo to be giving.
And this proves my original point exactly... it's not educational (at least in terms of educating people about animals) and the message is completely wrong with the cockatoo portrayed as more of a play thing than a wild animal.
I'm not looking for an argument here, but really don't think this message is an appropriate one for a serious zoo to be giving.
I'll guess we'll have to agree to disagree because thw point of the segment is to show the intelligence and communication skills of parrots. Which to my mind is quite educatonal.. I can also guarantee that no one leaves the show thinking they give their animals alcohol.
OK, it's far more educational than I expected from the title. I was thinking it might be some silly pantomime type crap with trained animals, but obviously it's much more than that.
And as far as the parrot conversation goes, if it's demonstrating it's vocal abilities and intelligence then I don't have a problem with it. They say things far worse.
As a bird show employee, and as someone who has seen the show four days a week, all summer long, I feel as though I should clear a few things up about the show.
Gary has been running this show for years and has really worked out a winning formula with a perfect combination of entertainment and education in a visitor-friendly 22-minute time frame... When you're catering to an audience of mostly young families you can't just spit facts at them or let the birds alone provide the entertainment because people simply won't be interested... Thus the comedic relief.
To provide a little more accurate recap of the show, I'll go over the order of the show and discuss the educational bits of each part.
-White-nosed coati - Markee, one of our trainers, brings "Watson" the coati out while "Bob", played by one of our trainers, Eddy, is out dancing with the crowd. Bob is the bumbling bird show janitor and is the main comedic relief in the show, a character seemingly straight out of, say, "I Love Lucy" or the likes. Markee discuss the diet and behavior of coatis and why they do not make good pets... "Watson" himself was a confiscated pet!
-Green-wing macaw - "Fiesta" the green-winged macaw is trained to put an aluminum can into a recycling bin while Bob discusses the importance of recycling and how "It's so easy a parrot can do it!"
-Hyacinth macaw - "Rio" the Hyacinth macaw climbs down a large rope to retrieve treats. Bob then says that he has trained "Rio" to climb down an extra skinny rope because he has not used all of his mental potential, talking about the intelligence of macaws and other parrots. While Bob is turned around, "Rio" pulls the rope up to retrieve the treat instead of climbing down it.
-Roller Pigeons - Bob says he has worked on a routine to open the show where the pigeons fly out and land on his arm... But in fact, they just fly out and circle the amphitheater. When Gary comes out he talks about the homing abilities of pigeons and how far they can fly in one day.
-Blue-and-gold macaw - "BeeGee" the blue-and-gold macaw circles above the visitors heads while Gary discusses the reintroduction project in Trinidad that the zoo helped support with its breeding program for the species.
-Green-winged and hyacinth macaw - Gary discusses the social nature of macaws as "Fiesta" and "Rio" fly down from the top of the amphitheater, introducing them as the second-largest and largest flying parrots in the world.
-Red-legged seriama - "Chico" the red-legged seriama comes out on stage and demonstrates her leaping ability and her incredibly loud call while Gary discusses their unique way of killing their prey and how they are related to the extinct terror birds of South America. **She no longer does the lizard slam routine... She decided last summer that she wasn't going to do it anymore and they haven't been able to get her to do it since!
-Lesser-crested cockatoo and yellow-naped Amazon - "Reggie" the cockatoo and "Coco" the Amazon mimic sounds for the audience to prove their vocal abilities and intelligence, while discussing why parrots make bad pets. To confront the beer issue. The banter is as follows:
"Coco and I are big Cincinnati Reds fans, and we were down at the ballpark recently and some guy hit a home run. Coco got so excited she did the Tarzan call *Tarzan call*. It went by so fast, some people thought a flying saucer went over "flying saucer sounds". Yeah, it went by real quick. But our favorite time at the ball park is the seventh inning stretch, where everyone stands up and sings their favorite baseball song *Wanna beer?* What? *Wanna beer?* Yeah, I guess some people say that! But what's the baseball song? *Take me out to the ball game*"
So, no, she isn't asking for a beer. They're making fun of the fact that so many people go and get beers during the seventh inning, saying that's the favorite baseball song... Again, comedic relief within an educational message.
-Rhinoceros hornbill - "Terri" the rhinoceros hornbill flies across the amphitheater and back again while Gary discusses the hornbill's role as a seed disperser in their rainforest habitats.
-Harris hawk - "Vegas" the Harris hawk flies out to different points on top of the amphitheater and then catches a mouse tossed into the air, all the while Gary talks about how their unique cooperative hunting style.
-Rats - Gary discusses the importance of hawks, owls, snakes, and other predators in the role of pest control as a bunch of rats climb across the roof. He discusses how the Norway rat invaded the entire planet on sailing ships and how quickly they would reproduce and take over without these predators.
-Black vulture - Bob "dies" from the idea of so many rodents, and "Boris" the black vulture swoops in to clean up, landing on Bob's crotch, all while Gary discusses the importance of scavengers.
-Black-footed penguin - After "Boris" chases Bob off stage, Markee comes out with "Charlie" the black-footed penguin, discussing the adaptations penguins have to life in the water and how most penguins are found in warm weather.
-Barred Owl - Later, Maggie brings out "Homer" the barred owl, all the while Markee talks about how they are the most common owl in Ohio and plays their call.
-Striped skunk - From there, Markee goes on to talk about the great horned owl, Ohio's largest owl, and how it is a generalist feeder. After listing off a whole slew of animals they eat, "Fritz" the skunk scurries out on stage, reminding her they also eat skunks, from which then she talks about owls' poor sense of smell.
-Emu - "Mel" the emu comes out next, and Markee talks about the parenting behavior of the males of this species.
-Abyssinian ground hornbill - "Abner" the ground hornbill follows "Mel", with Markee talking about their unusual diet, which includes tortoises! "Abner" pecks at the artificial tortoise shell on the stage that Bob is hidden away in after his flights.
-Bald eagle - Currently, due to construction on the black rhinoceros yard, "Sam" the bald eagle is only walked out on stage instead of flown in, but Markee uses "Sam" to discuss the recovery the bald eagle population has made and what we have learned about how birds are such wonderful indicators of the health of our environment.
I hope that provided a better look at the educational value of the show! Not that Moebelle didn't do good job.... I just see the show far more often, haha!
Also, the lanner falcon is no longer in the show either as she passed away last year.
Well dang, I guess I didn't do too good of a job. Are you sure about Sam because he flew last Sunday? But I haven't seen the show since so I guess I wouldn't know.
Well dang, I guess I didn't do too good of a job. Are you sure about Sam because he flew last Sunday? But I haven't seen the show since so I guess I wouldn't know.
Oh, you did well enough! I just see the show twice a day, four days a week! I can recite the script in my sleep, haha.
And as far as Sam goes, it depends on whether they're working that day or not. If they're is active construction or it is too hot, they won't fly him. He gets stressed easily, and he's not the young bird he used to be! I've only seen him flown once in the past two weeks.
