Back to Newsletter HighlightsBack to Home Page
According to a story by Loren Eiseley, a boy was picking starfish up off the beach and tossing them into the sea, when someone approached and asked what he was doing. He explained that if the starfish are on the beach when the tide goes out, they will die. Ridiculous, the other scoffed, there are millions of starfish; you can't possibly believe that what you're doing could make any difference. The young man reached down for another starfish, and said as he tossed it into the brine, "It makes a difference to this one."
Making a difference it's something we often hear about and rarely take the time to do. Recently, through the Internet, I was exposed to a few people's mission to make a difference in the life of one baby bird.
A few months ago, a woman named Elaine went into a pet store in Bend, Oregon. There, she encountered a baby African Grey who was having difficulty perching and crying piteously. She looked closer at the bird and noticed that one of his toes was bent backwards and was extremely swollen. The poor baby was wedged into a corner trying to balance on his perch. Elaine spoke to one of the store's salespeople, who told her that the bird broke its toe and they were waiting for it to "turn black and fall off."
Infuriated, Elaine asked to speak to the manager, who denied that they were waiting for the toe to fall off, that it had been to a vet and was on medication. She left the store, as she saw that there was nothing she could do at that point.
Once home, Elaine posted her experience to an exotic bird chat line, asking other bird lovers if there was anything that they could think of that she could do to help this bird. The suggestions flew around the globe, fast and furious. Elaine was amazed by the responses, as they came in, each more direct than the next. Tell the newspapers, tell the ASPCA, ask to be shown the vet's report, find out who the breeder is and tell them, take the baby home yourself. She must not let this bird down. Give us the name, address, and phone number of the pet shop owner, listees demanded. We will hound her unto death with threatening calls, was the main thrust of the postings.
Margaret Ann (MA), who lived in Tucson, Arizona, heard about the bird through her friend Sybil who writes for Caged Bird Hobbyist, and decided that she had room in her heart and in her home for one more bird. MA called the pet shop owner, who had stopped answering the phone, and offered to buy the bird. She was charged full price, which was already substantially higher than other Greys in the area go for. Then she had to figure out a way for the bird to be shipped to her.
By this point, Elaine had alerted every public official she could think of to the bird's plight. The local newspapers were not interested in the story, but the ASPCA official had been to the store and was told that the bird was recuperating in the shop owner's home after veterinary treatment.
Elaine got a friend, Charlotte, into the picture and the three, Elaine, MA, and Charlotte, arranged for the bird to stay with Charlotte until it had REALLY been seen by a vet, and was strong enough to fly (in a plane). MA's friend Sybil kept the list up-to-date on what MA was going through on her end, while Elaine kept the list supplied with enough detail for everyone to visualize what was happening in Oregon.
MA had arranged with Alaska Airlines to have the bird shipped from Oregon to Tucson, arriving at night so that it wouldn't be too hot for the bird. It was to have been delivered through their Goldstreak counter-to-counter small package service. When she called to confirm, after having charged the flight, she was informed that Alaska Airlines had no record of her payment or her reservation. As the flight was due to take off soon, the airline agreed to make an exception in MA's case and let the bird fly COD.
Elaine and Charlotte had taken care of everything they could at their end, making the baby comfortable, and giving him a good feeding before take-off. Elaine even satisfied the airline's requirement that carriers for birds contain a perch, by placing a tiny manzanita perch on the bird's towel.
When MA and Sybil arrived at the cargo office with friends, husbands, and cameras in tow for the momentous event, the office was locked and no one was around. After about a half hour, a Goldstreak employee arrived to open the office. She was converged upon by MA's group, asking "Where is the baby?" She made a few phone calls and while they were waiting, MA and Sybil told the clerk the whole story of the bird's rescue from the pet store, its adventure and now, its almost-lost flight. The airline employee told MA, "You've been through so much, this flight is free."
When Sybil posted the airline story, I got on the phone and got the name of the Goldstreak employee's supervisor and fax number and posted it. He received quite a few faxes from listees thanking Alaska Airlines for their help in bringing this bird to a new life in a loving home, and for doing it for free. Listees then posted their letters, encouraging others to write, and generated tremendous amounts of free publicity for Alaska Airlines.
The baby Grey arrived at its new home that night, scrawny, underweight, hungry, but healthy, albeit minus the toe, which had indeed "fallen" off. MA took him to a vet and while the results were coming back messages flew back and forth across the Internet. The baby ate his first meal, took his first drink. There was a "Name the Baby" contest, with Ben being chosen as its new name. Ben is short for the beneficence of all the listees who helped, or just stood by and cheered as the drama unfolded.
Today, Ben is growing and has completely adjusted to the loss of a toe. MA is thrilled with her little rescuee. And, most of the listees who took part as honorary godparents can feel a certain kind of pride in helping someone across the miles whom they've never met. People can make a difference.
Follow Up-While he was in quarantine, Ben was diagnosed with polyoma. MA immediately started a vaccine course for him and all her other birds, many of whom are breeders. Elaine has recently lost a baby Greenwing Macaw to the disease, which she feels was shed by the baby during its brief time with her. She bought the Greenwing long after the Grey was in its new home, but just found out the hard way that the virus can live in a house for several months. The virus is out there. Luckily, so is the vaccine. Check with your veterinarian about having your birds vaccinated, for their sake.
Back to Newsletter HighlightsBack to Home Page