By: Nora Caterino

The parrot that starred in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, starring Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly, attacked a police officer, when the unnamed female driver was stopped for driving with the parrot loose in her vehicle. The driver was approaching Dover ferry dock in Kent, England.

In the movie, this macaw helped character Pirate Cotton, played by David Bailie, talk after his tongue was cut out in a fight, leaving him mute. The beautiful macaw had many appearances in the movie perched on Bailie's shoulder.

According to the UK Telegraph September 11, 2009 online edition, a three-foot tall blue and gold macaw attacked a police officer after its owner was stopped for driving with the parrot perched on her shoulder.

Another source, the online edition of The Examiner, states the parrot was "flying around in the vehicle.” It appears the cause of the traffic stop was simply the fact that the parrot was not caged.

After checking the driver's license, it was learned the woman had been barred from driving. An arrest followed, and her vehicle was to be impounded. With the parrot still in the vehicle, new recruit, PC Martin Dadd, was assigned to get into the vehicle and drive it and the parrot to the car pound.

The Examiner quotes Port of Dover Police Chief Superintendent Steve Masters as saying, “A very nervous probationary officer then proceeded to drive the vehicle to the police station with great difficulty and an equal amount of dexterity as the macaw perched itself on the steering wheel pecking at his fingers throughout the journey."

Dadd suffered scratch marks and bites on his hands and arms.

Officers learned of the parrot’s celebrity status only when a relative of the female driver came to pick up the macaw.

Why would a well-trained movie star parrot attack a law enforcement officer? The answer is quite simple.

Parrots are flock creatures and will protect other members of their flock whenever possible. Parrots also often view the human to whom they are most bonded much like a mate, and a parrot will fight for their mate to the death in many instances.

The parrot likely sensed the stress on the part of its owner upon being stopped in traffic since she probably knew she was driving without the authority to do so. Then it saw its favorite human taken into handcuffs and out of sight. A stranger then entered the vehicle, clearly considered by the macaw to be part of its territory, making the law enforcement officer an invader in the parrot's perception. The parrot clearly had no idea if the officer would harm it or not and likely sensed the stress the officer was giving out.

The police officer then began to move the vehicle, which the parrot had probably never seen driven by a stranger before. This stress and perception of threat resulted in the "fight or flight" instinctual response all creatures have inate to their being. Because flight was not an option, the macaw attacked to defend its human, its terrority and a perceived threat to itself.

Understanding parrot psychology is key to working with parrots. While an attack might still have occurred had the Port of Dover police attempted to cage the parrot, the damage would most likely not have been as serious, and the parrot could have been transported in a safer manner.

It is generally poor practice to travel with a parrot loose in a moving vehicle. Travel can be stressful for a bird and stress can result in opportunistic disease attacking the animal. The parrot is also incapable of understanding traffic movement and, in the case of a sudden stop, will not brace itself. As a result, a bird can easily be injured or even killed. If a traffic accident should occur, the chance of the parrot surviving are much less than if the parrot were restrained inside a travel cage.

If you choose to travel with your parrot in your vehicle, secure a travel cage in the car or van. If the parrot is small or medium sized, you can place the travel cage on a seat and secure the cage with the seat belt. For a large parrot, such as this blue and gold macaw, the travel cage will most likely have to be placed on the floor of a van and secured with ropes to ensure it does not slide around inside the transport vehicle.

A large parrot like this huge macaw can be a special hazard when traveling loose in a vehicle. If the parrot becomes frightened by a loud noise such as a semi-tractor passing the car or another perceived threat, it can flap its very large wings and obstruct the driver's vision at a key moment, actually causing a fatal accident. Even the distraction of a small or medium sized parrot flapping its wings or screaming in fright can startle a driver enough to potentially cause an accident. Always use a travel cage when driving with your parrot so every human and pet in the vehicle arrives at the destination healthy and safe.