Vadodara Woman Offers ₹1 Lakh Reward to Find Missing Pet Parrot ‘Laddu’

Vadodara: A ₹1 lakh reward for her missing parrot has brought numerous calls for Jessica Parekh, but many callers have misunderstood her appeal. While some have offered to sell her another bird, the 35-year-old former schoolteacher insists she wants only her beloved “child” back.

Laddu, a six-month-old Congo African grey parrot, escaped from his cage and flew out of the family’s home in Sevasi on Saturday evening. The family has been unable to trace him since.

Jessica said she was feeding Laddu when a delivery person rang the doorbell around 7.24 pm. She briefly stepped out to collect the parcel, during which Laddu opened his cage latch and flew out through the main door.

Since then, she has contacted neighbours, the forest department and rescue organisations and circulated appeals on social media. The forest department has assured her of assistance in capturing Laddu if she spots him.

A possible sighting near a farmhouse close to their home raised hopes, but subsequent searches yielded no results. Jessica believes the young bird could not have flown more than 15 km.

“Knowing him, he must be hiding somewhere in isolation and feeling lost. He does not like company or noise. Even at home, he was close only to me, his ‘mumma’. I am worried that the Diwali firecrackers must be making him anxious,” she told the media.

The reward poster features Laddu’s photograph and describes him as the family’s “only child” and a precious member of the household.

However, the appeal has also attracted misleading calls. Jessica said some people have sent photographs of grey parrots with QR codes to claim the reward, while others have offered similar birds at discounted prices.

Jessica brought Laddu home from Mumbai earlier this year. The family is now relying on someone spotting him, recognising him from the photographs and contacting them. She said Laddu was usually allowed to roam freely inside the house rather than remain confined to his cage. DeshGujarat