In a story that has quickly become a hit on social media, a local zoo has separated five African grey parrots after staff discovered the birds had been swearing and laughing together, much to the shock and amusement of visitors.
The intelligent African grey species is well-known for its exceptional ability to mimic human speech, but these particular parrots took it up a notch. Zoo personnel began noticing that the group was picking up and repeating phrases that were surprisingly adult in nature, often interspersed with raucous laughter. The parrots’ vocal antics became a source of both entertainment and concern as their language caught the attention of families and young children visiting the facility.
Behavior Prompted Action
Caretakers initially thought the parrots were simply imitating harmless phrases, but the discovery of explicit language led to a difficult decision. According to the zookeepers, the five African greys—who had formed a tight-knit flock—were encouraging each other’s foul-mouthed behavior, orchestrating what sounded like coordinated “laughing fits” after each expletive.
“It was astonishing to hear. We’ve handled talkative parrots before, but these birds seemed to be in on some sort of joke, laughing and swearing like a group of teenagers,” one staff member recounted. “Since swearing isn’t appropriate for our family visitors, especially the kids, we had to take action.”
The Separation Strategy
In a bid to curb the parrots’ mischievous chatter, the zoo decided to separate the five from each other, placing them in different enclosures with other, quieter birds to discourage their swearing sessions. This method aims to break the cycle of repetition and peer encouragement, hoping each bird will eventually revert to more acceptable communication.
Though it sparked some amusement online, with many social media users jokingly pleading to “put them back together,” the zoo staff emphasize that the welfare of the birds and the comfort of their visitors remain priorities.
“These African greys are very social creatures, so isolating them isn’t ideal, but sometimes it’s necessary to ensure the overall experience at the zoo is positive,” the spokesperson explained. “We’re monitoring their behavior closely and adjusting our approach as needed.”
The Broader Fascination with Talking Parrots
African grey parrots are often celebrated for their impressive language skills, sometimes capable of learning hundreds of words and phrases. Their intelligence can lead to unique social interactions, but this incident highlights how parrots can pick up language in unexpected ways, especially from humans or groups of their own kind.
Visitors to the zoo continue to talk about the parrots’ antics, turning the story into a viral sensation. While the “swearing parrots” might be temporarily separated, their unexpected humor has certainly left a lasting impression on those who heard their colorful chatter.
