Parrot saves owner’s life from house fire in UK

A pet parrot in the UK has emerged as an unlikely hero after he perished saving the life of his teenage owner from a house fire.

Cookie, the cockatiel, flew to the bathroom to alert his owner Ben Rees, who was alone in the house in Llanelli, South Wales, of the fire that had broken out in the bedroom.

The bird squawked and ‘dive-bombing’ Ben to alert him of the fire without caring for his own life, the Daily Mail reported.

Thanks to the bird, Ben managed to escape the blaze and call for help. But sadly, Cookie didn’t get out in time and perished in the fire.

Ben’s mother Vicky Rees, said, “He was Ben’s guardian angel, he’s a hero and he died a hero.”

“Cookie sensed danger and seemed to know that Ben hadn’t realised his bedroom was on fire. If he hadn’t squawked and flapped like that I’m sure Ben would have died in there too”, she said.

Ben was home alone when he lit an incense stick in his bedroom and went to have a shower.

But burning embers from the incense set fire to the teenager’s bed and the flames began to engulf his bedroom.

Thankfully, Cookie, whose perch was in Ben’s bedroom, was alarmed by the smoke and began squawking loudly.

He then flew into the bathroom and repeatedly ‘dive-bombed’ his owner who realised that something was wrong.

Although bricklaying and plastering student Ben tried to put some previous fire safety training into action, he was unable to put out the flames and fled the house.

He was given oxygen by firefighters at the scene and treated for shock.

Fire crews managed to stop the flames from spreading throughout the family home.

Cookie has been buried in the family garden.

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