Four parrots are now dead after being mauled by another animal at the Jackson Zoo.
Jackson Parks and Recreation Director Abram Muhammad confirmed that a group of Amazon parrots were found deceased this past Thursday in the attic of a barn where the birds were temporarily housed. Zoo staff relocated the parrots indoors from their outdoor habitat due to frigid temperatures in central Mississippi.
After investigating, officials discovered that a mink had slipped into the barn and
“We believe it to be a mink simply because [the parrots’] bodies were still intact. Based on what I was taught and what the veterinarian told us, that is the nature of how minks usually [kill their prey],” Jackson Parks and Recreation Director Abram Muhammad said during the mayor’s Monday press briefing. “They don’t devour their prey. They just simply cause them to lose their life.”
Muhammad said the zoo reported the incident to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and he notified the press to avoid the situation from appearing to be swept under the rug.
“We’ve had these Amazon parrots since 2012 and have not had any incidents prior to that taking place,” Muhammad added. “[It happened] only because we had to put them up due to the frigid weather or else we would have lost them due to the weather. We were trying to mitigate one thing, and unfortunately, we lost on another.”
The parks director said he will consult with other zoological facilities that have Amazon parrots and explore all options to more thoroughly facilitate the birds during inclement conditions.
