Parrot that tried to mate with wildlife presenter gets New Zealand govt job!

London, February 2 (ANI): The parrot that shot to fame after trying to mate with the head of a wildlife presenter has been made "spokesbird for conservation" by the New Zealand government.

Video of Sirocco, an endangered kakapo parrot, trying to get intimate with the head of Mark Carwardine during the shooting of the BBC's 'Last Chance to See' series saw more than half a million hits on the popular video-sharing website, YouTube.

Prime Minister John Key appointed the country's most famous parrot as the ambassador for conservation, hoping it would highlight the plight of endangered species.

"He's very media-savvy, he's got a worldwide fan base - they hang on every squawk that comes out of his beak. He'll be a great official spokesbird for New Zealand," the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

"Sirocco can speak very loudly on this topic and by the end of this campaign people will be a lot more aware of what's going on," he added.

Kate Wilkinson, New Zealand's conservation minister further said: "New Zealand is home to the world's only flightless and nocturnal parrot, the last surviving member of a dinosaur family and the world's smallest marine dolphin. This is our biodiversity to protect and Sirocco can help spread that message." (ANI)