Garry Wallan here. I have a story to tell that has a happy ending and a cautionary tale all rolled into one. My conclusion is my opinion, not necessarily a view of the Alaska Bird Club, but Ill bet many of you will agree with my point. I got the call this afternoon about a parrot in a tree in the west side of Anchorage. None of our usual volunteers were able to go out to size up the situation, so I took a long lunch and went to see about the wayward parrot. The bird, a Congo Grey, was still in the tree when I got there. Someone doing renovation work next door had been having a lively conversation with the bird during the afternoon. I arrived, saw the bird, and went to that house to see if anyone was home (Id been warned about their dog and didnt want to head into their back yard without warning). Good thing, that. A woman came to the door, I introduced myself, and told her that I was with the Alaska Bird Club and we had been called because there was a parrot in a tree in her back yard. It was her parrot. It was on a leashed harness, fastened to the tree. Sitting in the tree was a normal part of the birds day. I laughed and remarked that this was the kind of bird rescue result I liked. When I got back to my truck I sat and thought for a few minutes. This is where the Happy Ending becomes the Cautionary Tale. Its great that this parrot has an opportunity to spend time in the fresh air and sun (cloud-filtered sun, today). It is also great that the owner was savvy enough to use a harness and leash. However, such a restraint is meant to be closely attended by a human. What if the bird chewed through the harness (ridiculously easy to do). What if a raven, magpie, hawk, eagle, or kitty cat (all of which live in that part of town) had chosen to partake of this handy tree snack? What if a creepy neighbor decided that the resale value of the parrot was worth the risk in taking it? Even restrained, an unattended parrot is vulnerable. Outdoors time should be supervised time, unless it is in a secured enclosure such as a cage or aviary. So, happy ending for the rescue but a potential for awfulness nonetheless. I didnt revisit the owner, soapbox in hand. That kind of critical cold call would not have had the educational benefit desired. Instead, Ill pay it forward here and hope for the best for little Tree Bird.
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 00:31:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015