You cannot blame the busy among us for needing a holiday. For some, such as a parrot named Harri, a cruise across the Tasman Sea would do the trick.
The eight-year-old galah, a species of pink-plumaged parrot endemic to Australia, was discovered onboard Princes Cruises’ 2,000-berth Sea Princess (built 1998) after it took flight from its home in suburban Brisbane.
What she may not have known when she decided to stow away on the ship was that New Zealand regulations would require her to be euthanised upon arrival.
The ship’s captain avoided that fate by furnishing the bird with its own cabin, affording it a luxury many other passengers do not enjoy as they share quarters with family members.
When Harri went missing from his home in Nundah, his human family feared she might be gone forever.
“She’s definitely an integrated part of our family and we were all very sad when she flew away,” owner Michelle Cozzi told local broadcaster 7 News.
But their decision to fit the parrot with a microchip helped in finding it.
Ironically, Harri was found while the family were on a cruise on another line’s vessel, according to media reports.
But ultimately, she was reunited with her family, escaping New Zealand’s death penalty.
