London: Dozens of parrots in Australia had to be hospitalised as they had got drunk. Now, vets are curing their hangover.
Sixty drunk birds were taken to an animal hospital.
The Sun said some of them were in such a state that it would take days for them to sober up.
The red-collared lorikeets get intoxicated by pecking at fermented nectar produced by a species of tree.
The tree is common in gardens in Australia's Northern Territory as it produces ornamental red flowers.
"People find the parrots huddled in a corner or at the bottom of one of the trees.
"Mostly they just look sick - a sad bundle of feathers hiding from the world," vet Stephen Cutter, who is in Darwin, was quoted as saying.
"They tend to be depressed, can't fly and have difficulty climbing or balancing on perches," the vet added.
Incidentally, there is hardly any difference between the cure for humans and parrots. They too recover after food, rest and rehydration.
IANS
First Published: Saturday, November 05, 2011, 12:37