For the longest time, I wondered how some animals could be smarter than the others. After all, aren’t they all animals? But as I grew older, I realized that, just like humans, animals are diverse. They have different brains, different capabilities, and their level of intelligence vary. Yet, I had one animal that fascinated me the most. The Parrot.
From a young age, I knew they were among the smartest birds in the world. I also heard people say that they gossiped a lot. I read about this in books and I watched movies that portrayed them as talkative. But that never stopped me from loving them. In fact, I found them super interesting and hoped that one day I would see a live one, and maybe even gossip with it.
A few years ago, that wish came true. I was walking with a friend at an amusement park that had a section dedicated to home animals, mostly birds. Each cage had a sign displaying the name(specie) of the birds and that helped visitors like us identify them easily. The bird keeper handed us food to feed the birds, and I believe that was what made that visit to the park a more personal experience. Eventually, we got to the parrot section, and I was stunned.
Two parrots at the front caught my attention. They were clinging to each other and making similar noises that sounded like some form of animal communication. I couldn’t get my eyes off them. My friend, however, didn’t understand the reason for such heightened admiration. He leaned closer to the cage and said, "These parrots look malnourished."
I laughed out loud, not because it was an extremely funny joke, but because I knew he was trying to get a reaction out of me. Fortunately, he succeeded. As I laughed even louder, I noticed the parrots staring at us with so much intensity. The stare was the kind of judgmental gaze a friend gives when they overhear you saying something awful about them. I knew they couldn’t have understood what my friend and I had laughed about, so I moved closer to wave at them. Immediately, they ruffled their feathers in a way that signalled, "No, we don’t want you close. You, hypocrite!"
The next minute, I saw them facing each other, mimicking the laughter and small talk they observed earlier from my friend and I, and they tilted their heads towards us each time they laughed. It felt as if they were judging us for our behavior. This made me feel uncomfortable for laughing at my friend’s comment, and I wished I could earn their forgiveness. But it was already sundown, and it was time to leave. So, I waved the parrots goodbye from a distance and prepared to head home. As we walked down the gate, I made sure to give my friend a playful punch for making the parrots think poorly of us.
So, if you’re wondering, animals judge you too. Be careful what you say around them.
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