When Animals Crack the Code

For those who need a lighthearted story —

Rocco is an African grey parrot who had to be removed from an animal sanctuary because he swore too much.  But what really makes him special is his mastery of technology. He has learned to talk to Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa.  He interacts with Alexa up to 40 times a day to hear jokes, play music, and even order snacks.  Fortunately for his owner’s bank account, the parental lock system has prevented Rocco’s purchases from actually being made, but he has ordered items ranging from strawberries and ice cream to a kettle.  In addition, this clever bird has mastered many household sounds — “He knows the telephone and can make different mobile ringtones,” owner Marion Wischnewski said. “He can do the microwave or the squeaking door on my fridge. He can do the ice cream van in the summer, and a truck reversing so loud you think it’s in your living room.” ( https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/parrot-alexa-amazon-shopping_us_5c159050e4b05d7e5d8290ee? )

If you think Rocco is impressive, meet Negro, a very intelligent black dog residing at the Diversified Technical Education Institute of Monterrey Casanare in Colombia.  Negro acts as a kind of guardian, watching over the campus during day-to-day activities.  In return, his needs are met by the faculty.  Then one day Negro noticed a small store on campus where students would use paper money to buy cookies.  So he decided to try it himself.  Since he didn’t have paper money, he used the next best thing he could find — leaves.

How can you turn down a sincere dog with a leaf?  Everyone played along, so every day Negro buys a cookie with a leaf.  “He comes for cookies every day,” Gladys Barreto, a longtime store attendant, explains. “He always pays with a leaf. It is his daily purchase.”  To see how Negro buys cookies, a video clip is at https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/dog-buys-treats-using-leaf .

Have a nice day!

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