REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
Meet world’s oldest cockatoo Cookie who performed at zoo for 75 years – but pink parrot’s exact age will never be known
Cookie once inspired an Indian 'holy man and healer'
THE world's oldest cockatoo performed at a zoo for 75 years - but the pink parrot's precise age will never be known.
Cookie was the oldest resident at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo, having entertained visitors there since 1934.
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He arrived in the US from Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, and was estimated to be a year old with a suspected hatch date of June 30, 1933.
For historical context, that was the same year Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, and the London Underground diagram was first introduced to the public.
More than seven decades later Cookie was still kicking and was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest living parrot.
The popular parrot went through some of life's classic ups and downs along his journey.
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His dating life left a little to be desired.
In the 1950s, he was introduced to a special lady pink cockatoo - but apparently she was rude to him, so Cookie sent her packing.
Over the years he developed a rock star-style following from fans who sent him letters and brought him toys and treats.
He even inspired an Indian "holy man and healer" to set up his own parrot sanctuary.
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In 2007, Cookie was diagnosed osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, conditions many ageing humans suffer, too.
It was speculated that he developed the bone conditions because he was kept on a seed-only diet for his first 40 years - before zookeepers realised cockatoos need variety.
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Cookie drew the curtain on his entertaining career in 2009, and was instead moved to a home in Bookfield's keepers' office.
Every now and then he'd wind back the clock for the odd special public appearance, including on his birthday.
Cookie was the last remaining animal from Brookfield's original squad when the zoo opened in 1934.
Sadly, he died on August 27, 2016, aged 83.
Cookie smashed the life expectancy for parrots of his species, which is typically 40-60 years.
The zoo said at the time: “Over the years, Cookie’s popularity grew and he touched many people’s lives.
"He received many cards, letters, toys, and pictures from admirers around the world.
“Cookie will be sorely missed by staff and visitors alike.”
These days a memorial at the zoo stands in his honour.
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It includes a life-size bronze statue of Cookie, located atop a bench outside the zoo's birds and reptiles section.
It sits alongside a plaque reads: “IN MEMORY OF ‘COOKIE COCKATOO’ 1933-2016 THE LAST REMAINING MEMBER OF BROOKFIELD ZOO’S ORIGINAL ANIMAL FAMILY.”
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