Sri Swamiji in USA, Visits 80 year old Bird "Cookie" in Chicago, 23 Jul 2013
Sri Swamiji visits 80 year old Bird "Cookie" in Chicago, USA, 23 July 2013
On 23 July 2013, Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji visited Brookfield Zoo near Chicago, Illinois, USA to see the 80 year old "Cookie", a male Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Pink Cockatoo).
Cookie is well beyond the average life span for his species. Cookie has been a member of this Zoo since it's opening in 1934. He arrived at Brookfield Zoo at the age of 1 from Taronga Zoo in Australia. It is believed that he is the world’s oldest living Major Mitchell’s cockatoo in professional care.
Sri Swamiji was received by Zoo personnel - Colin Borck and Jo-Elle Mogerman. They gave a tour of Reptiles and Birds exhibit and Tropic World exhibit which included bird breeding areas. Highlight of the trip was Sri Swamiji’s visit to Cookie. Cookie is now permanently off-exhibit from 2009 and is closed to visits from general public. Tim Snyder, Curator of the Brookfield Zoo gave a private tour to Sri Swamiji. Sri Swamiji was the only person who entered the Zoo's Perching Bird House where Cookie resides along with the Curator and the Zoo photographer. Swamiji spent about 15 minutes with Cookie. After the session, Tim, the Curator was astonished by the way Cookie interacted with Swamiji. It seems Cookie is mostly in the cage and avoids interaction with most people, but warmed up to Sri Swamiji very fast. It came out of the cage and started interacTimg with Sri Swamiji leaving the Curator and Zoo photographer very surprised. It was a very rare moment for them. As the Zoo personnel put it, there are very few people who have ‘it’ while interacTimg with birds and animals and they thought Sri Swamiji had a way with connecTimg with birds and animals.
After coming out of Cookie's shelter, Swamiji visited a Harris Hawk. This particular bird is also known as the "wolves of the sky," and they are known to hunt in packs. Swamiji took a couple of pictures with the hawk's caretaker and the hawk and we made our way to the bird breeding areas. Swamiji walked around the breeding areas and living quarters of the birds and was very happy with the facilities. He was so happy that He even purchased a membership at the zoo.
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