On September 6, 2007, an African Grey parrot named
Alex died prematurely at age thirty-one. His last words
to his owner, Irene Pepperberg, were ''You be good. I
love you.'' What would normally be a quiet, very private
event was, in Alex's case, headline news. Over the
thirty years they had worked together, Alex and Irene
had become famous--two pioneers who opened an
unprecedented window into the hidden yet vast world of
animal minds. Alex's brain was the size of a shelled
walnut, and when Irene and Alex first met, birds were
not believed to possess any potential for language,
consciousness, or anything remotely comparable to human
intelligence. Yet, over the years, Alex proved many
things. He could add. He could sound out words. He
understood concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer,
and none. He was capable of thought and intention.
Together, Alex and Irene uncovered a startling reality:
We live in a world populated by thinking, conscious
creatures. The fame that resulted was extraordinary. Yet
there was a side to their relationship that never made
the papers. They were emotionally connected to one
another. They shared a deep bond far beyond science.
Alex missed Irene when she was away. He was jealous when
she paid attention to other parrots, or even people. He
liked to show her who was boss. He loved to dance. He
sometimes became bored by the repetition of his tests,
and played jokes on her. Sometimes they sniped at each
other. Yet nearly every day, they each said, ''I love
you.'' Alex and Irene stayed together through thick and
thin--despite sneers from experts, extraordinary
financial sacrifices, and a nomadic existence from one
univer-sity to another. The story of their thirty-year
adventure is equally a landmark of scientific
achievement and of an unforgettable human-animal
bond. |
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