Nine days. That was how long Panchito, a parrot from La Guaira, Venezuela, endured trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building after the double earthquake on June 24, 2026.
When firefighters from Miranda state finally found him among the ruins, his feathers were injured and his beak was hurt, but he was still alive. They immediately brought him water, and he drank as if he had spent days dreaming of that moment. One of the rescuers, unable to contain the emotion, told him “my boy, you survived” 🦜💧 — and that is how his name was born, in a video that went viral thanks to José Marcano.
The images of a parrot that was rescued after spending nine days under the rubble following the double earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24 quickly went viral, as it represents a moment of hope amid the tragedy. In a recording, one can… pic.twitter.com/wqi8WnjUWK
— El Heraldo de México (@heraldodemexico) July 5, 2026
According to what became known afterward, Panchito was unable to overcome the severe dehydration he suffered during those nine days and eventually died. Even so, many find some comfort: he did not fade away alone among concrete and silence, but surrounded by hands that cared for him until the end 🕊️