When Carol Smith opened Saturday's copy of the Salisbury Post, she could hardly believe
her eyes."That's Ethel,"
exclaimed Smith, as she looked at a picture of a lost cockatiel that has been
hanging out near Bostian Crossroads since Labor Day.
A whole lot of other people also recognized the
bird as their lost pet.
David Cherry said he and his wife, Linda, who first
spotted the lost bird in her back yard, have had more than 20 phone calls, all saying the
bird is their pet.
"We're getting calls from everywhere,"
said David Cherry, "It's amazing how many cockatiels are loose in Rowan."
Smith, who works in the Post's circulation
department, called her daughter, Fran Gelow of Granite Quarry.
That's where Ethel was when she escaped, leaving
Fred in the cage, screaming.
The cockatiels were a gift to Fran and Jesse Gelow
from Fran's co-worker at City View Restaurant in Salisbury.
A waitress, Lynell Preiser, had given the year-old
pair of birds to the Gelows about a week before Labor Day.
On Friday before Labor Day, Ethel pulled the big
escape.
Jesse Gelow said they were trying to get Ethel
acclimated to the apartment. "She's a little more tame than Fred," said Jesse.
She was flitting about the apartment, whistling,
yelling and delighting the family. But when someone opened a door, Ethel saw her big
opportunity and winged through the opening.
"It broke my boy's heart," said Jesse.
They felt a little better when the original owner
said Ethel was up to her old tricks. She had flown off before.
In Ethel's previous escapes, Fred had been used as
"bait." By placing Fred's cage in the yard, Ethel and Fred would holler, scream
and whistle at each other. Then she would settle down on the cage, allowing the
opportunity to throw a towel over her.
The Gelows took Fred out for several days, placing
his cage in the yard.
He yelled and whistled, but Ethel was nowhere to be
seen or heard. Now, they think she had already flown miles away and found the Cherrys'
back yard off OldBeatty Ford Road. Linda Cherry had fretted for weeks on ways to catch the
bird. She bought food, called pet stores and finally called the Post seeking help.
The bird stayed put in her backyard, flying off to
a nearby milo field to feed.
The Gelows are hoping to get a chance to take Fred
to the Cherrys and see if it is their missing Ethel.
David Cherry said another couple brought a
cockatiel and placed it in the yard. The lost bird paid no attention. While the bird
continues to flit about outside, the Cherrys are answering calls of their own --
from people hoping they've found their lost bird. |
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