One flew out of the cockatiel cage: WestJet crew escorts Vancouver escapee to YYT

A Newfoundland woman who lost an exotic bird in the rafters of Vancouver International Airport is forever grateful to WestJet staff for going above and beyond to catch her pet and see it safely across the country.

I couldn'tbelieve that people could be so helpful.- Ebru Ozerkan

Ever since her previous pet cockatiel died,Ebru Ozerkan, a doctor from St. John's, has been looking to purchase another bird.

So when Ozerkan had to travel to a medical conference in Vancouver last week, she decided to look for a replacement there as none areavailable in Newfoundland.

While in B.C., she purchaseda pair of cockatiels two brothers but the cage Ozerkanwas given by the breeder wasn't permitted on the return flight home. Instead, she bought a travel case at the airport to shuttle her precious pets back to St. John's.

"They are very friendly, very nice and close to humans," she told the St. John's Morning Show.

"They can be very nice pets that you can cuddle with."

Free as a bird

But while Ozerkanwas transferringthe birds into their new cage, one bolted. She said onebird remained in the cage at her feet, while the other sat high up in the rafters of Vancouver International Airport.

Before that point, the sibling birdshad never been apart and, according toOzerkan, both went wild with what she believes was separation anxiety. The bird that remained in the cage was so worked up,Ozerkan worried it would hurt itself trying to escape.

"The one that was left with me was crazy to go to the other one," shesaid. "So it was constant yelling and screaming and the other one was constant screaming. So they were talking to each other screaming to each other."

OperationRescue Jet

Ozerkan, who was set to board a WestJet flight, and said the airline's staff and guest manager immediately sprang into action, discussing options for catching the bird.

They rescheduledOzerkan's flight home for the next morning as she waited to see if the bird would swoop down on its own, but that never happened.

"I stayed in the airport watching these two birds all night long," she said.

While Ozerkan eventually boarded a flight back to Newfoundland with just one bird in tow, WestJet staff didn't give up.

She said they continued to keep a watchful eye on the little bird in the rafters. Two days later, Ozerkan got a call from WesJet staff who saidthe bird had been caught and was on its way home.

The moment of opportunity, she said,came when the cockatiel tried to fly out the front door of the airport. That's whena quick-thinking employee picked up a bin used for carry-on baggage measurement, andsafely trapped the bird inside.

"Everybody was very interested and supportive.I couldn'tbelieve that people could be so helpful"

WestJetpurchased another travel case for the bird and had cabin crews with two separate flights escort him all the way back to Newfoundland. Ozerkan said staff even googledwhat to feed the cockatiel, buying vegetables for him and making sure he had fresh drinking water for the journeyhome.

Ozerkanlater found out the crew even named the bird.

"They called him Jet," she said a name Ozerkanplans to keep.

"The bird was here from Vancouver to St. John's in six hours. Even a person couldn't get here that fast."