ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND – A Suffolk couple on holiday in the Swiss Alps have mistaken a solitary pear for an elusive alpine bird. John and Tina Bergkamp, a well-meaning pair from Lowestoft, were enjoying their chalet breakfast when they spotted what they believed to be a curious, possibly endangered, bird perched on a windowsill.
Entertainment Editor: Arthur Pint
“We saw this small creature just sitting there, so still,” said Tina. “It had this plump little body, a proud chest, and what looked like a cute little bill. I said to John, ‘That bird’s got pear-sonality.’”
Unbeknownst to the enthusiastic pair, the object of their fascination was, in fact, a common Conference pear—left to ripen in the Alpine sun by the chalet owner, who later confirmed he often “just sticks a pear on the sill to keep it from the cheese.”
What a pair
Undeterred, the Bergkamps posted a photo of the alleged avian anomaly to Instagram with the caption: “Rare alpine bird? Can anyone identify this beauty? #mysterybird #SwissWildlife #birdquiz.” The post rapidly gained traction, attracting thousands of likes, ornithological speculation, and at least one heated debate between a pair of professors over the genus of what was, again, just a pear.
The Alpine bird
The pair’s holiday has since been dubbed “The Great Pear Panic” by local press. Back home, the Suffolk couple are taking the mix-up in stride. “We’re not embarrassed,” said John. “It’s not every day a pair mistake a pear for a bird.”
In response to the viral post, a fruit merchant in Zurich has offered the couple a lifetime supply of pears, calling them “unexpected ambassadors of produce.”
The pear, for its part, remains unavailable for comment.
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