passions and soapboxes

I know I usually show a funny video, but not today. This is a subject close to my heart as I have my own parrot family. This video is shocking but it is real and it is why we need to protect these birds as much as possible. Many Parrots, especially Cockatoos are endangered because of poaching for the black market pet trade. The sale of only one bird can support the poacher’s family for a year. A Hyacinth Macaw is worth $15,000 in the US.  Several species are already gone forever in the wild and now live only in breeding programs. If they survive capture and transport they may still face a life of abuse at the hands of pet stores or bad owners who can’t cope with the reality of owning a parrot. The Indonesian Parrot Project is dedicated to educating the local people about the plight of the native birds and in rehabilitating and releasing the native birds.

Over in Australia Cockatoos are considered a nuisance and are routinely killed in an effort to protect farms and homes from damage. Their habitats and natural resources for food have been destroyed by the timber industry so they encroach on the human population to survive. Many are now endangered because of this practice.

for more information go to The Indonesian Parrot Project and Second Chance Birds