I'm a bird person. I am a bird person in a big way, now that I have been in touch with Mary Bradford at the Tropics Bird Refuge in North Carolina.
Since February '03, I have adopted over a dozen birds from the Tropics. I too had heard all the rumors about what was going on at this refuge. But, willing to take a chance to be able to help the Tropics and more importantly, to help some of the birds, I contacted Mary Bradford at the Tropics and had long conversations with her prior to my first adoption.
What I heard from Mary was just what I would have hoped. She was very upfront, straight forward and expressed a great deal of concern for all the birds she had in her care. Yes, some of her birds have problems, but that is exactly why they came to Mary in the first place - mostly because no one else wanted them or had the time or patience to address their issues.
Every trip I made to collect my new birds from the airport I found the most delightful creatures, albeit a little jet lagged, patiently waiting for me. They were packed safely in pet carriers, not cardboard boxes, and had been supplied with grapes to satisfy hunger or thirst on their journey. All of them were in beautiful feather, were very clean and had clear bright eyes. As each was taken to my own avian vet, she remarked about the wonderful shape each bird was in.
To have a parrot flown in - sight unseen - from a person you do not know, is a major leap of faith. However, I could not be more pleased with the new companions in my household than those that came from Mary Bradford and her Tropics Parrot Refuge. Those that have sought to discredit Mary and the work she has done are spitting into the wind. There are too many homeless birds out there - and it is not all about money. We need people like Mary to take on this kind of misson for all unwanted creatures, feathered and four legged.
Sherry St.Germaine
South Strafford ,Vermont
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