Photo: Jon Gambrell | AP Photo
The Mynah bird squawks from a new cage in the French ambassador's sunlit living room in Abu Dhabi, a far cry from its life as the pet of a young Afghan woman who has since found refuge in France. The talkative, yellow-beaked bird, named Juji, had a brief turn as a star on social media. It's story of survival amid the frenzied evacuations from Taliban-run Afghanistan struck a nerve with a global audience. French Ambassador Xavier Chatel became the guardian of Juji when he was engaged with supporting evacuation efforts at the Al-Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates. The young Afghan woman brought the bird with her, but authorities wouldn't let her take it on the airplane. In a gesture of kindness, Chatel offered to take the bird under his wing. Once in Paris, the young woman found Chatel on social media and contacted him to check on the bird; in response Chatel posted some bird videos and the rest is history.
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