Animal Diaries Archive

Occa the eternal toddler

6 October 2006

Hey folks! For those of you who read last week;s diary, you will know I made a small mention of Occa, our Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Well I have been spending a lot of time with Occa off display, bonding and forming a beautiful relationship with him. And now we are ready to head out into the Zoo and say hello to all our excited guests together! Occa has to be the funniest bird I have ever met. With his wide range of vocabulary and his hilarious sense of humour, he makes everyone who stops to talk to him cry with laughter.

Occa is only 20 years old, which makes him still quite young. These guys can actually live up to (potentially) 100 years. Wow, that’s a long time. And did you know they have the intelligence of a two-year-old child? This makes them great entertainment, but in need of constant stimulation. We give our cockatoos plenty of toys to play with and bring them out to meet everyone at least two to three times a day. These guys can become very destructive and yes, they will tear your lounge apart if they get bored.

So if you can imagine being a two-year-old and living 100 years, then that is what it is like to be a cockatoo. I think Occa has heaps of fun, and I think I would too.

Well until next time, I hope to see you here in your animal gear!