Well I have had the pleasure to meet and talk to Dr. Pepperberg multiple times and you have to in order to form an opinion on her and her work. Before meeting her, I read her book and watched the videos of Alex like you all did and thought what you thought about his quality of life.
YOU HAVE TO MEET HER to see what a gentle, soft spoken, petite lady she is who loves birds and devoted her whole life to proving that parrots are NOT the bird brains that people think they are. To fight for them to be at a place where people look at them differently and for them to gain the recognition they deserve! Without her work, we wouldn't have a ALEX. He also devoted his life to his kind. She is extremely smart and could have led a rather luxurious life, however, she is still going around talking and meeting folks like myself to raise money for the research (through merchandise from the foundation).
She talks about Alex fondly. He knew that she loved him I know. And in one of her video, she does say it back to her. He was never in a cage, had the best nutrition and plenty of toys. He had many people to drive crazy. They had to serve him and give him whatever he requested. Most of all, his MIND was challenged and working all the time and for a Grey it is very rewarding.
Dr. Pepperberg is very easy to like. And I'm sure that someone so devoted will get the affection of the Greys she works with. Unfortunately, they tend to form a strong bond with one person only. I do believe that the reason Alex plucked was because she had to travel a lot ....without him. He probably missed her terribly. I believe that she also gets stressed wondering how long she can keep her research before the grants stop and he was able to sense that.
I was early at one of her speaking place (a bird only place). I decided to visit the parrots who lived there and as I entered the room, she was there by herself talking softly to them. You could have heard a pin drop (I had been there many times and the birds are always yacking....the Kookaburra especially). I didn't expect her to be there so early and alone and honestly didn't know what to say (I had all smart things to say in my head but couldn't come up with anything), so I said hello, and shook her hand, turned around and left! What a great first meeting

. Got to talk to her later after her speech thankfully. Living close to her lab, I do try to go to her speeches that are local. Unfortunately, the bird store she used to visit will close in September

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