Due to repeated concerns regarding the empty cage shown in the video, it is my impression, after having read her book, that this is where Alex sleeps, like a bed, and that he is mostly perched outside the cage when he is not sleeping. Also, had Dr. Pepperberg taken Alex home with her every night or hung toys in his cage, it would have compromised the study. Already, she had to fight the belief that the study was not legit and that Alex was only mimicking, and that animals are stupid. I assume her and her assistants interions were carefully documented so as not to create a bias and enable the detrors to put down her study proving animal intelligence. According to her book, because of an accidental introduction of mirrors in the bathroom for Alex, they could not perform the self-awareness study using a mirror. Alex did get a lot of attention during the day, which is sadly not the case for many pet parrots, even if the pet owners love them. Dr. Pepperberg had broken from the accepted price in her day of starving the test subjects, but instead engaged with Alex like a child, and used her intelligence and insight (and determination) to show that a bird can be very smart. She struggled a lot to get funding, and it was stressful for her as well as for Alex (read her book). \r
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