President Theodore Roosevelt and his family were avid animal lovers. In their lifetimes they owned or were gifted many animals, from the exotic to the mundane. Falling somewhere in the middle of that scale are 2 parrots.
One parrot was named Loretta, and was praised by Roosevelt for being both “sociable and intelligent.” She was also apparently a bit feisty as the Washington Post labelled her as “loud-mouthed.” Her vocalization was put to good use though and she could often be heard saying “Hurrah for Roosevelt!”
The other parrot is likely the macaw parrot, Eli Yale. Roosevelt found parrots to be fascinating birds, along with other wild life native to rain forests.
Where Roosevelt acquired Loretta is a mystery, as well as her fate. But from the little we can find it seems that she was truly a part of the Roosevelt family and it is likely she lived out the remainder of her days with them.
