Parrot ambushes man, becomes pet of cafe owners

By Steve Graves

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    WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — An animal ambush was caught on camera outside of a West Palm Beach cafe, and what happened next, the cafe owners say, could only be fate.

Surveillance video captured how it started; Dave and his friend, Pam, walked down a sidewalk in April right outside Coastal Kava Cafe off Military Trail.

“Just walking this way, minding our own business,” said Dave.

All of a sudden, Dave felt a peck on his neck. Video showed him squirming and patting the annoyance away.

“At first, it felt like I was being hit by a bat! A bat was on me!” Dave said.

Dave said Pam yelled at him as he swatted: “Stop! Stop! It’s a lovebird!”

It immediately sat on Dave’s shoulder and took a liking to the co-owner of Coastal Kava, April.

“He’s very friendly. He’ll go on anybody’s shoulder and hang with them,” she said.

April named the bird “Mahi” which is inspired by the bird’s bright, beautiful colors, similar to the fish.

“He is … obviously domesticated,” said April.

The ironic part, April said, is that Pam owns two lovebirds of her own and briefly took Mahi in to care for him.

“I’ve seen her two birds … one without the other, just,” said Dave. “That’s why I know this one probably has a mate somewhere.”

Mahi is also helping soothe and comfort veterans who frequent the cafe and struggle with PTSD, April said.

The bird is currently a sort of mascot of Coastal Kava for now.

April said she hopes to find the original owner of Mahi, but if no one claims him she said she is more than ready to keep him around.

“We’re like, ‘OK, we have a bird!’” she laughed.

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