by CandaceC » Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:46 am
I was the bird keeper at our local zoo back in the 70s and 80s. During that time our pair of blue and gold macaws produced two chicks but the mother was not at all attentive and one of the chicks died. This forced our decision to pull the second chick and hand rear it. I started formula feeding at 3 days old. During the process of raising Magoo, he became quite bonded to me and very tame, Since I was the only bird keeper, and at the time not as much was known about socializing, he became rather aggressive towards other people. He remained this way for several years, until he was found a mate and turned into a large flight cage. Even years later, he recognized me and approached me for head “scritches “ but would not allow interaction with others.
I’m not sure how this fits into the “parent being abandoned” but perhaps it had to do with the fact that he really had no alternative to get the attention he craved.
Just my personal account!