Pioneering Parrot Sanctuary Opens In England

by Sherry Morse

The National Parrot Sanctuary, the first registered parrot rescue center in England, has opened its doors to the general public after receiving an official zoo license from Britain’s Secretary of State.

The sanctuary is home to over four hundred parrots representing forty-three different species. Most of the birds are former pets who have been turned over to the sanctuary by their owners.

In many cases, sanctuary founder Steve Nichols says, the owners are not really prepared to care for parrots and find them too much to handle.

Many of the parrots have been imported, since England is one of the few countries that still allows the importation of exotic birds.

An estimated fifty percent of the birds die during the importation process and many more die within the first year of captivity. The survivors are often not good pets and become more difficult to manage as they get older.

Nichols spent fifteen years studying parrots before establishing a twenty-four-hour-a-day advisory service for parrot owners, known as Parrot Line, which helps match parrots needing homes with prospective owners and reduce the suffering of these birds.

Nichols hopes that the new sanctuary will assure that every unwanted parrot receives care and that new owners are educated to try and prevent problems in the future.

He has opened the sanctuary to paying customers to help raise money to cover the cost of operating the sanctuary, which he believes may be home to one thousand birds within two years.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.