Olympic speed skater Ivanie Blondin found her beloved pet parrot, Gizmo, after he went missing on Friday afternoon.
The six-year-old African grey parrot flew away at around 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Varsity area of Calgary.
Gizmo was located about two kilometres away from home high up in a tree. He was found by Christine Chesson and her daughter, who happened to see a post about the missing bird on Facebook.
Blondin had to do some creative climbing to reach Gizmo, getting up on the rooftop of a garage before scaling a tree.
Gizmo is back at home Friday evening, after an eventful few hours in Calgary’s northwest.
Blondin was extremely thankful for the help of the community in locating her long-time parrot.
Blondin said they were outside earlier on Friday when Gizmo, who is clipped and no longer fully-flighted, got spooked and took off.
WATCH: Calgary Olympic athlete Ivanie Blondin’s beloved parrot, Gizmo eats a snack
“I think the wind was kind of scooping him up a little bit, because, in the house he flies, but he flies on an angle down toward the floor, so it was really surprising to me that he could fly that well.”
Blondin has owned the parrot since he was four months old.
“I’ve treated him almost like my child. I’d fly him to my parents when I’d leave for World Cups and World Championships.
“I had literally just got him back to Calgary on Tuesday.”
Blondin is a multiple World Cup medallist in long track speed skating. She also skated in the 2014 Winter Olympics Games in Sochi.
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