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According to a Times article published last week, a Margate, England, woman hopes a DNA test can prove her beloved parrot is not missing, but has been stolen and is residing at the local pub.

Sue Parsons’ African Grey parrot went missing in January, and since then she has had no idea where her beloved pet, named Pickle, could be. Then, a friend spotted a bird that closely resembles Parson’s in a cage inside of a pub in the area. Parsons went to the pub to see the look-alike bird for herself, and it was then she began to believe she had found Pickle.

However, the owner of the bar insists that the bird is hers, and that it came from her uncle, who said he bought it months ago from “two identified men,” the article said.

Parsons is certain that the parrot in the pub is hers, and is demanding a DNA test to prove it. She hopes that sloughed off down feathers in Pickle’s former cage can be used as a reference sample; DNA from those feathers and DNA from the unidentified parrot can be compared to see if they match. However, the bird in question’s owner has so far refused to allow anyone, including police, access to the bird for DNA testing.

It seems that this parrot truly is in a pickle.

When you receive your free Beta Self-Collection™ Kit, you will find easy-to-follow instructions included in the materials. The instructions outline several points that are critical to remember when preparing your DNA samples for paternity testing.

As you are taking the buccal (cheek) swabs and preparing them for shipping, please be sure to remember the following:

1. Be sure to LABEL each buccal swab envelope correctly. It is usually best to label one envelope and swab one person at a time to avoid possible mix up of envelopes and samples.

2. Remember to swab ALL OVER the inside of the cheek; try not to rub one spot repeatedly. Rotate the swab while you are rubbing the cheek lining to ensure maximum DNA sample collection. Follow the instructions provided in your kit to ensure that the proper amount of DNA is collected for the paternity analysis.

3. After you have followed the instructions for swabbing each person’s cheek, place swabs in the PAPER ENVELOPES provided. Do NOT put the swabs back into the plastic wrapper. This will cause mold or mildew to grow inside the plastic, and will destroy the DNA sample on the swabs. Beta Genetics cannot perform DNA paternity testing on swabs that have been placed in plastic.

4. Enclose all of the buccal swab envelopes in the Business Reply envelope and mail the kit to our DNA testing laboratory.

If you have more questions, the the video located here shows step-by-step instructions on how to properly prepare your DNA samples for paternity testing using the free Beta Self-Collection ™ Kit. You can also visit http://www.betagenetics.com/dna-collection.html.

Please contact one of our caring case managers at 1-800-798-3810 if you need further assistance.

According to an Associated Press article published late last week, the mystery surrounding the missing Russian Princess Anastasia could be solved later this spring through DNA testing.

Scientists in England, Russia and the U.S. plan to test DNA found in bone fragments that were found in Russia last year. They will compare DNA from the bones to DNA samples known to be from the Czar’s family and descendents.

Scientists are reviewing any biological and genetic material that has been deemed relevant at the request of the Russian prosecutors as part of a reopened investigation of the deaths of the royal family. The bones to be tested were found at a site in Northen Russia where the rest of the Russian royal family was supposedly killed. After the killing, scientists believe the killers doused the bodies in sulfuric acid before burning them to hide or eliminate evidence. However, scientists believe the killers ran out of time to thoroughly destroy all evidence, thus leaving behind these bone fragments. After initial viability testing, scientists have determined that there is indeed enough preserved DNA to move forward with DNA analysis and comparison.

Anastasia was the youngest daughter of Russia’s Czar Nicolas II. Czar Nicolas and his family were murdered during a revolt in the Bolshevik Revolution in the early 1900s. Anastasia was was rumored to have escaped execution, and the mystery surrounding her possible survival is legendary because over the years many women have claimed to be the surviving princess.

The most famous of these women, Anna Anderson, was proven not to be Anastasia after her death in 1984. Scientists compared Anderson’s DNA to DNA samples taken from a descendant of the Russian royal family and determined there was no relation. Anna Anderson’s story became the centerpiece for many media broadcasts about the Anastasia mystery, including the 1956 film Anastasia and consequent news stories, novels, and even a musical.

For more information on how this type of DNA family relationship testing works, visit www.betagenetics.com/genetic_services.html. Results of the DNA testing will be released later this spring, scientists who are involved in the case have said.