While flocks of Neapolitans don Saint Paddy’s Day attire this month, Bonnie, a 26-year-old military macaw at Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, wears green year-round. She keeps her enviable plumage looking fabulous with frequent baths in the rain or from a hose. As an animal ambassador, Bonnie can sometimes be spotted with one of her keepers greeting guests throughout the zoo’s 43 acres. According to zoo staff, she craves peanuts and walnuts, using her powerful beak to break through the hard shells. Atypical of many parrot species, Bonnie is a bird of few words; her favorite utterance is “wow.” She’s no birdbrain though. This clever chick is trained to participate in her own care by voluntarily hopping on the scale, as well as presenting her wings for checkups and her…
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Naples Illustrated (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2023