Douglas ( – 23 February 2019) was a male scarlet macaw that played the parrot Rosalinda in the 1970 Pippi Longstocking film Pippi in the South Seas.
Youth and movie stardom Douglas was imported from Brazil to Sweden in 1967. Three years later he became famous due to starring as the parrot Rosalinda in Pippi in the South Seas. Douglas was capable of singing, speaking around 50 words in Swedish and following a few commands.
Later life In 2003, 33 years after Pippi in the South Seas, Douglas garnered much attention in the Swedish press when authorities were considering putting him to death because his owner did not have the proper paperwork. A petition pleading for Douglas's life received over 50,000 signatures, including that of actress Inger Nilsson, who played Pippi in the 1970 movie. Douglas was spared after his first owner in Sweden produced the correct paperwork, showing that Douglas had been legally imported from Brazil in 1967.Sigrid Harms: Papagei aus "Pippi Langstrumpf": Douglas muss sterben. Der Spiegel, 7 April 2016 (German)Pippis Papagei darf weiterleben – in Karlsruhe. Der Tagesspiegel, 14 April 2016 (German)
In 2005, Douglas was moved to a small tropical zoo in Malmö where he lived with a female blue-and-yellow macaw called Gojan. In early 2016, Douglas once more attracted the attention of the Swedish (and later German) media when authorities once again had plans to put Douglas to death, this time because his three-square-metre cage was too small and prohibited Douglas from flying. The authorities requested an aviary of at least 30 square metres, which the zoo could not provide, but zoo director Frank Madsen argued that the 49-year-old Douglas was incapable of flying anyway and that there was no sense in cutting the parrot's remaining years short. With the authorities unwilling to grant an exception, Madsen turned to the press and soon received more than 100 offers for a new home for Douglas and Gojan. The Karlsruhe Zoo in Germany was selected and in April, Madsen himself delivered Douglas and Gojan to Karlsruhe, where they were greeted with a public welcome party.Pippis Papagei. Die Tageszeitung, 17 May 2016 (German)
After Gojan died at the age of 45 in September 2016, the zoo paired Douglas with Rubin, Papagei aus "Pippi Langstrumpf" – Ara Douglas ist jetzt Witwer . Der Spiegel, 23 September 2016 (German) a 22-year-old scarlet macaw that arrived in October."Rosalinda ist nicht mehr alleine: Roter Ara im Karlsruher Zoo angekommen". ka-news, 10 October 2016 (German) At the occasions of Douglas' 50th birthday the Karlsruhe Zoo organized a party and offered free entrance to children dressed up as Pippi Longstocking or as a pirate.Alice Echtermann: Papagei aus Pippi-Langstrumpf-Film wird 50. Weser Kurier, 18 May 2018 (German) Douglas died of natural causes at the Karlsruhe Zoo on 23 February 2019, aged 51. Pippi Longstocking parrot actor dies, BBC, 25 February 2019Julia Sandmann: Papagei von Pippi Langstrumpf stirbt im Karlsruher Zoo. Badische Neueste Nachrichten, 24 February 2019 (German)
See also List of animal actors List of individual birds
Notes
External links Douglas at the Karlsruhe Zoo (video, German) Rosalinda, der Pippi Langstrumpf Papagei in Karlsruhe – video report on the relocation to the Karlsruhe Zoo (video, German) Celebrity at Karlsruhe Zoo: Pippi Longstocking's parrot turns 50 - Interview with the zoo director (Badische Neueste Nachrichten, video) The Tragic Tale of Pippi's Parrot Rosalinda at European Film Star Postcards