Rare parrot caught after being loose in Lewisville
LEWISVILLE – A beloved pet parrot stuck in a tree near Lake Lewisville for three days has finally been reunited with his family.
Not even the Lewisville Fire Department could get Samba down, but CBS News Texas reporter Caroline Vandergriff was able to help in the rescue.
The 15-year-old Catalina Macaw had originally settled into 40-foot+ tall trees after he got spooked during a photoshoot on Sunday.
Firefighters used ladders and other equipment to reach him, but he got scared and flew away. Nearby neighbors climbed trees with pool nets and were also unable to reach him.
By Tuesday afternoon, Samba had flown to a tree lower to the ground.
Owner Giulio Ferrari told Caroline the bird was hungry, but he didn't have any food on him at the time. Previous attempts with peanut butter and other treats hadn't worked.
Caroline, a mom of three young girls, always carries plenty of snacks in her purse and car. She found a bag of Doritos to use to lure him down.
Ferrari was able to entice Samba with the chips to get him close enough to grab, and then bring him to safety.
"Oh, I am thankful," Ferrari said. "I'm relieved. I haven't slept well in three days because it's like your child. Your child is up stuck in a tree, and nobody can get him down. We tried with the fire department, we tried with tree climbers, and we tried food."
The bird was hungry, in need of water, and clearly exhausted but otherwise okay. Ferrari took him straight to the vet to get him checked out.
Ferrari says despite what happened, this won't be Samba's last outing.
"He gives so much back," said Ferrari. "The happiness I bring to people when I bring him around. The joy. To see people smiling."
First, he'll need a very long nap at home.