A parrot with no claws has become one half of Lewisham’s most unlikely flatshare after moving in with a snake.
Rango, a tropical coloured parrot, lost his claws to frostbite after being attacked by his dad over a new clutch of eggs when they shared a cage kept outside over winter.
After the claws were surgically removed, he adapted to moving around his cage by hanging on to the rails with his beak.
Rango, who is a hybrid between a green-winged macaw and a blue and gold macaw, currently lives with his owner Michelle Parsons, a 25-year old conservationist, in a two-bedroom flat in Lewisham, shared with a corn snake, Mateo.
Parsons spoke about adopting Rango, saying: “I really wanted a parrot and they were going to put him down because no one wanted a parrot with no feet.
“My mother’s partner contacted the breeder and he was mine.’’
Rango shares his room with Mateo and the two have a mutual respect for each other.
Parsons said: “There was a time when Mateo escaped and entwined himself on the rails of the cage and Rango did not appreciate that.”
Following an intense stand-off, the situation was resolved peacefully, with Rango and Mateo agreeing to respect each other’s territories from then on.
Parsons further elaborated on what it is like to live with a macaw in a flat.
‘’He is often loud but the neighbours like him, my boyfriend likes him and my mum loves him,” she said.
“He also talks like a human at times and he mimics my mum’s laugh all the time!”
Despite missing his feet, Rango’s quality of life has not been impacted at all and he remains as cheerful and happy as ever.
Parsons, a Zoology with Conservation graduate from Bangor University and a practicing conservationist, further elaborated on the pleasure of living with and rescuing animals.
She said: “I always loved taking in the more peculiar animals and I’ve wanted to work with wildlife and improve conservation efforts across the country from a very young age.’’
Featured Image Credit: Michelle Parsons
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