Dead birds.
Parrots dead on the floor of the flight cage.
Was it an epidemic? On November 7th, three of our 102 parrots died at our Parrot Center in Kisangani. On the 10th another died and on the 11th three more. We felt the Plague blowing at our door.
Parrots waiting for shipment in Trafficker’s holding cage.
We expect deaths to occur in birds rescued from the traffickers’ cages, still traumatized and dehydrated. But most of these birds dying now at our Parrot Conservation Center (PCC) in Kisangani were hardy. Banded at the end of June, they had no mortality during July, August or September. Even in October, it was only the very last week that we had a first death in this first group. What had changed?
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Our three flight cages at the Parrot Conservation Center (PCC) in Kisangani are roomy, aerated and clean.
We called in the best veterinarian in Kisangani. We treated with antibiotic, anti-helminth, we emptied the flight-cages and disinfected them, we put sand on the bottom to avoid any standing water or mud, we put in new perches…
The Parrot Caretakers with the veterinarian, Élysé.
Ben, one of the caretakers, sprays a flight cage with disinfectant.
Over 3 Weeks 24 Died. Some thin at death, but not all. A few with diarrhea, but most not.
INTO the EARTH – dead birds are buried in a near-by forest plot.
The night guardian who stays by the cages would text Maurice, who manages the Center. At five in the morning my phone would light up – and Maurice would be over for early coffee and then up to the Center.
Maurice is on the right (in gloves) during bird banding.
What really hurt the caretakers: many of the birds that died were nearly ready to fly. These birds had come to us mutilated, with their wing feathers cut and tails plucked. Over 4 months they had been growing new feathers, then suddenly they went from enthusiastic eating and parrot chatter to death in a matter of hours.
This dead bird had fully feathered wings and new pin feathers coming into its tail – nearly ready to fly.
In the midst of this distress, we got word from the Conservation Institute in Kinshasa (ICCN), an evaluation of all animal sanctuaries was to take place — immediately. WHY NOW? Director Lucien Lokumu was coming to our CCP in Kisangani.
Lucien (on the right) with Leon Salumu, who went to pick him up at the airport.
Some sanctuaries are uniquely for Congo’s great apes, some take care of a diversity of other animals also rescued from illegal animal trade. Our centers are dedicated to parrots confiscated from traffickers, we bring them back to flight capacity and we release them back to the wild. The illegal grey parrot trade in Congo is so big that we have opened centers in three provinces. The oldest is Maniema where, over 2 ½ years, we have welcomed 543 parrots in need of rehabilitation and we have re-wilded 399 of these.
The PCC in Dingi, Maniema, has seven flight cages.
The day Lucien Lokumu came to the PCC, there were again 3 deaths at the parrot center. He arrived to find 3 corpses. Another parrot, weak and sitting on the ground alone, was put in isolation in a smaller cage. It died soon afterwards.
Parrot dead in isolation cage.
But the following day, the 18th of November, dawned with no mortality. It was the day of the parrot release. Despite the distress and disorientation of the deaths, we wanted Lucien to see the final objective of the Parrot Center.
Lucien Lokumu (on the right) and the Minister’s Cabinet Director open the flight window.
There were eleven parrots whose feathers had regrown and whose tails were full. These were capable of flight. They were together in a single flight cage.
INTO the SKY — three of the 11 take off.
All eleven flew. Even the one most habituated to people, flew. We thought she might have been used as a decoy, tied to a branch so her distress calls would bring in wild birds to be caught on glue sticks. She may have been with a poacher from a very young age.
She was hesitant to leave…. And the last to take off.
It was probably this parrot that came back the next day to eat food we left available on the open release window. In fact, she decided to go in through the open window and spend the night in the familiar cage. She chatted volubly with the parrots in the neighboring flight cages. She (or is it “he”?) left early the next morning.
She came back to eat…and even spent the night.
Lucien was charmed. We all were. Seeing the parrots fly off, once-again freed, is a thrill. Seeing them fly off while a plague haunts the cages was a tremendous relief.
The witnesses of the release – I am already peering into the sky for lingering parrots. The three caretakers are in front, Chimène, Stanie and Ben.
The caretakers and the night guardian watch for the released parrots. Will they return?
Back for a day visit.
Spending the night near-by.
A parrot came back to talk with his compatriots in flight cage 2 – where they are still regrowing their feathers. Then he flew off again.
Several parrots are still returning every day, but they don’t spend much time before they are off again.
And what about the epidemic – now more than a week after Lucien’s visit? There was a reprieve after the 19th of November – but then the 25th November, there was another death, and then another.
Autopsy underway. Instead of just burying the dead birds, we now do an autopsy and share the photos with Steven, the World Parrot Trust vet in Belgium.
Despite the deaths, there is little apparent illness. Shared meals are enthusiastic and parrot chatter fills the clearing.
Now there seems another reprieve. Is the plague lifting, moving out?
In the meantime: We are getting excellent advice on emergency measures, second opinions and better diagnostic options. We thank Steven Janssen (World Parrot Trust) for his on-line availability. We also thank Élisé Kinzonzoli, veterinarian in Kisangani for his generous availability. We will need you both more!
