The 35-year-old has posted appeals on social media, hoping that someone who spots the bird recognises it and alerts the family. (Express photo)

The Rs 1 lakh reward she has announced for her missing parrot may lead to plenty of phone calls, but Jessica Parekh knows that not everyone understands what or who she is really looking for. She is fielding offers to get another bird, but her answer to callers is unwavering: she only wants her “child” back.

Jessica’s Laddu, a six-month-old Congo African grey parrot, slipped out of its cage and flew out of the main door of the family’s home in Vadodara’s Sevasi on Saturday evening. Since then, the family has had no clear idea of Laddu’s whereabouts.

Jessica, a former schoolteacher, said she was feeding Laddu when the doorbell rang. “It was around 7.24 pm when a delivery person arrived. I was feeding Laddu through the cage and stepped out briefly to collect the parcel. Laddu was in his cage, but he knew how to open its latch.…