Hanne is regularly released by her owners. — © IF
Aarschot –
Anyone who lives in Gelrode and the surrounding area has probably already seen them. The blue-and-yellow macaw Hanne flies around freely in the municipality, with permission from Jeroen and Joke. The two are roommates and care for the parrot with great love. Hanne always comes home after her flights and doesn’t get up to any major mischief. “Even if she flies with cars or lands on a football field,” says Joke, laughing.
Aarschot’s most famous pet? That’s parrot Hanne. Almost every week, a new appeal appears on social media from an Aarschot resident who saw the blue-and-yellow macaw flying somewhere. The bird does not escape again and again, but is released by its owners. Jeroen and Hanne are best friends and take care of the bird together in Gelrode.
The housemates have had a fascination with animals for some time. “I actually always wanted a parrot,” says Jeroen. “After much thought, I finally bought one. Frodo, I called him. Unfortunately he became very ill, with cancer in his wings. After 2.5 years we unfortunately had to put Frodo to sleep.”(Read more below the photo.)
Hanne also likes to hang out in the garden between flights. — © IF
Jeroen’s fascination did not disappear and in the summer of 2022 Hanne moved in with friends. “In the beginning it took some getting used to,” says Joke, laughing. “Frodo was very calm because of his illness, but the opposite is true with Hanne. From the moment the sun rises, she needs attention. She wants to play, discover and cuddle. Sometimes I can really swear, but Hanne is part of the family. She really is like a child to us.”
Dog whistle
Jeroen also sometimes has a love-hate relationship. That even led to Hanne’s free flights. “When she was younger, she kept insisting on going outside. One time I was so fed up that I opened the window. I immediately regretted it and ended up standing outside at four in the morning looking for her. But she was just sitting in the bushes behind the house.”
By training intensively with the parrot, Jeroen was able to teach them to fly around safely. “When I go for a walk with the dog, I always take Hanne with me,” he says. “Then she flies around freely, but with a dog whistle I can always ask them to come back. She used to stay close, but now she flies a little further.”
Football field
That was a bit scary for Hanne’s owners at first. “You never know who she will encounter while flying,” says Joke. “There can always be nasty people who want to do something to her. For example, a macaw was shot out of the sky in Westmalle. But in the meantime we are comfortable with it. Hanne is loved in the area and we constantly receive messages from people who see her pop up. For example, she sometimes sat on the field during a football match, or flew next to a car. Usually it remains positive reactions.”
Although Hanne likes to eat everything in the house, it has only happened once during her flights. “She had broken the windshield wipers of a car,” says Joke. “The owner contacted us immediately and of course we reimbursed him. If something like this ever happens again, I hope people know where to find us. If Hanne ever gets in the way, there is something that can help. She is very scared of large sticks such as a brush handle. Just hold it in the air and she will fly away.”