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LotusSong -> RE: POLLYamory (5/15/2008 4:22:46 PM)
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Raechard,
I appreciate your concern. I felt the same way. When I learned how the birds are taken from their nests.sometimes the parents killed to get to them.. smuggled into this country and the majority didn't even survive or those that did died of disease.. Out of country stock was placed in quarantine fro 30 days.. another trauma.before they were allowed to be bought by the pet industry. I've been away from this information for decades now.. have they outlawed importation of wild caught birds now?
Anyhow,I know there was a time that they suspended importation to quell the harvesting of the babies and endangering the species further. The focus was them put on those pairs that were already in country here to be domestically bred. This caused the price to rise. Pet shops would buy handfed babies..TRIPPLE the price to were they sat in the pet shop for a very long time to be traumatised by the customers who didn't know not to bang on the cage t get their reaction or bought them not knowing how to care for them properly (or even if you talked to them until you were blue in the face explaining proper care.. they didn't listen). I know this personally. I managed a pet store in town here. You can't pick and choose who can buy the bird (or any pet).. he who has the money- gets. It broke my heart. I quit after 9 months.
So what to do..leave them in the Amazon for the natives to continue to ravage thier nesting places as the rain forest gradually disappears.. or close the borders and work with the stock that is here? Or do we just let them die out? The demand for birds will be the same.
I was fortunate enought to attend a seminar by Steve Martin (parrot trainer, not the comedian) one weekend in the mid 80's and I learned a plethora of things. His focus was on teaching you how the bird THINKS as well as the care of animal.
I keep birds now (again) because I care about them. I've made my mistakes and I owe it to the ones I see that need help. When I saw, the double yellow-head in an 18" X 18" cage where it had been kept for 3 YEARS because it was bought as a breeder because the intended female died and she couldnt find a buyer to take him, I offered to buy him and I made sure his new life is spacious clean and loving. Turns out, he was not as wild as she made out. He was just pissed at being in his situation. I could see the intelligence in his eyes and my heart just broke. so please don't think ill of those of us who keep birds responsibly. Some of us are part of the solution, not part of the problem.
(edited to correct spelling)
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