A Cochrane family has been looking for their beloved parrot for the past year and they’re hoping that a new lead in Red Deer will turn out.

Fruit Loop, an Alexandrian parrot, flew out of an open door when company was visiting the Van Hoeve’s home last July.

Evelyn Van Hoeve said that someone unexpectedly came in through a back door while the parrots were out of their cage.

“They opened a door that led out to our back deck and that was it. Fruit Loop got spooked and ended out on the deck, then out on the roof. We were doing our best to call him but he was so spooked. Rather than coming to us, he flew further and that’s the last we’ve seen of him.”

Van Hoeve says they looked for months for Fruit Loop, along with the community’s help.

No one has taken the loss harder than Bob, an African grey parrot that is Fruit Loop’s best buddy.

“Bob did a lot of grieving. He would do a lot of pacing back and forth, saying ‘Fruit Loop, no flying, no flying!’”

While on a visit to Red Deer, the Van Hoeves were in a pet store looking at another Alexandrian when they got an unusual tip from a worker who had met a woman a few months ago and had an interesting account.

“She had a bizarre story about an Alexandrian parrot, about half a year ago or more, that had flown in through her open window and landed on her shoulder. So that got us going again.”

The Van Hoeves have since put out an ad in Red Deer to help that community get in on the search.

She says that it’s out of the ordinary that Fruit Loop could have flown that far, but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.

“I’ve heard they are really good fliers, I’ve heard other stories. It’s rare, but there are the odd parrots that after a year, you do find them. The only chance of survival that Fruit Loop would have had would have actually been to fly through somebody’s window.”

Now, they’re sharing their story in the hopes of connecting with someone who might be able to fit the rest of the pieces of the puzzle together.

“We’ll see where it goes. Just the hope of knowing. Even if we don’t hear back, even if we don’t get him back, knowing that he’s still alive would be awesome.”

Anyone with information about Fruit Loop is asked to call the family at 403-333-1964.

(With files from Stephanie Wiebe)