Nature
PUBLISHED
We come bearing sad news today, as Zoo Knoxville has announced the death of its famously chatty and charming, "talking, squawking" African grey parrot, Einstein.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Posting on social media, the zoo said of its beloved resident: “For more than 30 years, Einstein was more than an animal ambassador. She was a friend, she was family, and had a personality unlike any other. With her unmistakable voice, she captured hearts not only here in Knoxville, but around the world.”
“We are heartbroken. We are grateful. And we are immensely proud to have been her home for more than three decades.”
Having hatched in California on April 4, 1987, Einstein ended up at Zoo Knoxville in 1992. She later shot to fame on the Animal Planet show Pet Star thanks to her extensive vocabulary, which extended to more than 200 words and sounds – 80 of which she could do on cue.
That wasn’t the end of her fame either; in 2006, the parrot starred in a TED Talk event alongside trainer Stephanie White, even singing “Happy Birthday” to former US Vice President Al Gore, who was sat in the audience.
Then, in 2023, something changed in Einstein’s voice. Investigations revealed a small mass on her syrinx, the vocal organ of a bird. While three years went by without any changes, the zoo said that recently, “it progressed to the point where treatment was no longer an option.”
“Throughout her final years – and especially her final days – our focus was simple: make sure she was happy, safe, comfortable, and surrounded by the people she knew and trusted,” said the zoo. “And she was.”
While Einstein was believed to be particularly exceptional, it perhaps comes as no surprise that she was quite so impressive.
African grey parrots are widely regarded as one of the most intelligent birds on the planet. “The greatest mimic of human speech among the 350 or so known parrot species, they’re estimated to have the cognitive skills of a five-year-old human,” explained ZSL’s Dr Andrew Fowler, Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
In fact, they're such good mimics they can even adopt regional or national accents, as this British-accent talking parrot that went missing did when it came back four years later speaking Spanish.
Unfortunately, this has also made them desirable as pets. Together with habitat loss in the wild, this has driven the species into population decline, resulting in it being listed as endangered by the IUCN.
It’s here where Einstein really shone. “Through her incredible ability to connect with people, she helped inspire greater awareness and care for parrots and wildlife everywhere,” said the zoo.
As they so aptly put it: “Thank you, Einstein, for the laughter, the lessons, and the legacy.”
