Dartmoor Zoo Who's a naughty boy? Jasper the parrot turns air blue at zoo

[ZooLeopard]

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view...y-boy-Jasper-the-parrot-turns-air-blue-at-zoo

A FOUL-mouthed parrot has left his keepers red-faced after being reported by visitors – for swearing at them.

Jasper, an 11-year-old scarlet macaw, has been hurling abuse at visitors who approach his cage. He can be heard throughout the zoo squawking “b****r off” and “w****r” to those who come too close or try to speak to him.​

Jasper’s keepers have become so fed up with his foul-mouthed antics they have been forced to try to tone down his language amid fears he may upset children at Dartmoor Zoo, Devon. Spokesman Tim Steward said: “It can be pretty embarrassing when he gets into his flow. ​

“Jasper’s the loudest animal we have and you can hear him from anywhere in the grounds and his swear words echo around the zoo. Every so often you will hear him swear at the top of his lungs and you don’t know where to look. ​

“So far most people have been pretty good about it and we haven’t received too many complaints. ​

“I think most have seen the funny side. But it’s not ideal and we’re just hoping he picks up a few more words and increases his vocabulary. There’s not much we can do but we’re hoping he tones it down a bit at some point.” ​

Jasper was brought to the zoo as a chick almost 11 years ago, although he has only recently started swearing at visitors.​

Scarlet macaws are native to central and south America where numbers of the bird have suffered from deforestation and hunting. ​

The birds are renowned for their ability to repeat words and short phrases and keepers believe the language has been picked up after mimicking mischievous visitors. ​

Mr Steward added: “I’d love to think this was simply a case of him picking up the odd word here or there but I fear this isn’t the case.”​

 

[Pootle]

Mischievous visitors blamed, more like those who spend a lot of time with the individual bird in my experience. Although my experience has been only one parrot and that was an African Grey if there are any comparisons then this is how the African Grey was taught or should I say picked up words...

It takes one person of the same voice to repeatedly say words and phrases often for them to 'stick'

Also, they have ruddy good memories and words and phrases are seldom forgotten. e.g. - about 2000-2001 this parrot was still occasionally coming out with phrases in support of Winston Churchill from WW2 and talking about my father as if he was a little baby when in 2001 my father was just turned 60!, so they don’t forget much.

This was my late Grandmothers Parrot which sadly died itself a few months after my Gran, about 65 years they spent together!

 

[Johnny Morris.]

Bravo to Dartmoor, a bloody good way of getting more visitors through the gate.

 

[siamang27]

I really don't see how visitors are the ones who caused it, unless someone came there very often and regularly said those phrases...

 

[Steve Robinson]

I really don't see how visitors are the ones who caused it, unless someone came there very often and regularly said those phrases...

............. because keepers don't swear! Do they?

I agree with Johnny. Great free publicity.

 

[stubeanz]

Most probably a keeper shouting "bugger off" when a sharp beak is heading towards their hands, whilst trying to remove an old food bowl

 

[zelda]

He's been swearing for years. A good PR stunt plain and simple.