In between Brookfield Zoo Near Chicago, a small parrot named Cookie became a favorite symbol of flexibility, history and companionship. Cookie, a man Major Michel’s Cocktu Known for its beautiful pink and white wings, lived an extraordinary life that wooed generations. Born in 1933 and arrived at the zoo in 1934, he became the last living member of his original animal collection. He saw the change of zoo during eight decades. Coci not only lived through decades of change, but also made history by becoming the world. Oldest parrotReaching the age of 83 years. His story is a unique bond with care, endurance and humanity.
Cookies visit: Born in Australia, raised in America
Cookie is at Taarga Zoo in Sydney on 30 June 1933. Exactly a year later, he rode on a ship to be part of the brand-nine Brookfield zoo for Illinois, which was opened in 1934. At the age of only one, he was one of the first animals of the zoo-and by the time he died, he was the last surviving member of that original group. From a hatching in Sydney to a legend in Chicago, Cookie’s journey was truly global.
For decades, the cookie remained a cool, colorful appearance in the zoo. He exceeded just one performance, he was a family.
A parrot that re -writes record books
Major Mitchell’s cocktail usually lasts 40 to 60 years in captivity. Cookie not just defeated that average – she almost doubled it. In 2015, the Guinness World Records officially announced him the world’s oldest living parrot. No other pink cocktu came closer; The next old one going to a zoo was only 31 years old. , His extraordinary age became a beach of hope and curiosity for Avian science.
Cookie’s longevity surprised avian experts, especially given that the first 40 years of his life were spent on a seed-cavity diet, something that we now know that there may be health problems in birds.
Image Credit: Brookfield Zoo
Retirement and special treatment
Like any aging star, the cookie eventually got away from the headlines. In 2007, he was diagnosed with common, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis in older animals. The zoo employees also realized that when he was away from the public, the cookie’s hunger and mood improved. His rest became the highest priority of the zoo.
So in 2009, Cookie officially retired. He moved to a comfortable room inside Zukepers’ office at Paraching Bird House, where he enjoyed a calm life and only made rare appearances, mostly for his birthday parties, where fans and employees came to celebrate equally winged celebrity.
A single bird with a large personality
In the 1950s, zoo employees tried to introduce cookie to a female partner. But Cookie always gave opinion, rejected her. As the keeper said, “He was not good for him.” Cookie spent his life alone but never alone. His rest became the highest priority of the zoo. He received endless love and attention from Zukepers and visitors who saw him not only as a bird, but as a legend.
Cookie’s personality, attraction and feeling of flexibility made him one of the most incomplete animals in the zoo. When he died on August 27, 2016 at the age of 83, it looked like the end of an era. The following year, a memorial was built at the Brookfield Zoo to honor his remarkable life.
Lives on their story
Cookie’s legacy did not end with his passing. In 2020, author Barbara Gregorich released Cookie Cocktu: Everything changes, a poem collection is inspired by his life. Through his words, new generations can meet the parrot that taught us a lot about longevity, love and care. Their legacy inspires compassion and curiosity among the young minds.
More than just a record-breaker, cookie was a symbol of what kind of kind animal care could be achieved. His long, happy life reminds us that every creature has a story that is worth telling – and remember.
