Rambi back home with Yianoula

A MUCH-LOVED parakeet was reunited with its owners this week after flying more than 100 kilometres to the New Forest.

Rambi, a large green Alexandrine Parakeet, had never before left the comforts of his home in St Paul’s Road until he escaped from his cage a fortnight ago.

His disappearance left Shen, Yianoula, and Chris Evangelou frantically searching for their bird and putting calls out for information and sightings.

But the two-week birdhunt concluded on Monday after a rescue centre near Bournemouth called to say Rambi had been found in a Sainsbury’s carpark and transported to safety.

Ms Evangelou said: “It’s pretty amazing. It’s a miracle. We just broke down, I started crying, my partner was in shock because we honestly didn’t think he would go that far. “To think he’s flown that far away is just incredible.”

She added: “We were so worried about him because it was so hot last week and we were worried about him having enough to eat and to drink. When they called us, we were just in disbelief.”

Rambi was identified by a tag around his foot

The rescue centre had been looking after Rambi for almost a week, with no way to track down his owners.

That was until one of their volunteers went on Facebook and saw a missing parakeet with similar markings.

A call then went out to Rambi’s owners and they were asked for the numbers on his blue ring – a tag around the bird’s foot which is a unique identification.

Ms Evangelou said: “One of the volunteers said she had a feeling that this bird was loved and tamed and went home and couldn’t stop thinking about it. And then she found the poster.”

The couple told the Tribune that Rambi had been part of their family for seven years and said his escape had caused constant anxiety.

Ms Evangelou said: “He sits on my partner’s shoulder, he has slept next to my partner. We have another bird, a cockatoo that we bought a couple years after. They mimic each other’s sounds. We have the two birds, and three cats, but they all co-exist very well.”

Rambi’s disappearance led to people across the borough leading searches and reporting sightings.

Ms Evangelou added: “Everyone in Islington was doing their best to look for him – in the parks, the rangers, the neighbours.

“People have been so kind. They were looking outside their windows every day.

“We’ve had some false alarms – in Finchley, in Shoreditch Park, in Essex Road. People were contacting us but we started thinking he wouldn’t be found.

“There are loads of parakeets this time of year, but Rambi is a bit bigger. The news that he was found was the best thing that ever happened to us. My mother-in-law has been praying every single night and her dreams have come true.”

The couple said they had made a donation to the sanctuary that had looked after their feathered friend in an effort to thank them.

“Without them, we would never have got him back,” said Ms Evangelou.