Sad, sad story

This morning, my next-door neighbour came banging on my door calling 'Patricia! Help me! It's a poor bird like Rosetta!'

She had discovered a wounded corella flapping around in her garden and had carefully driven it up to my yard with a bath towel, which she waved at it periodically. The poor thing was so shocked and debilitated, it allowed me to pick it up without even thinking of biting me. While my son hurried to find our carry-cage, I gave the little bird a drink of water from a teaspoon. It was very hot today and he was grateful for a cool drink.

Having installed the bird in the carry-cage, I rang the nearest vets and was told 'Sorry - can't fit you in'. In desperation, I rang the bird specialist whose practice is a fair distance away from where I live. Thankfully, he's committed to native wildlife and agreed to see us as soon as we could make it out there. So we hopped in the car and shot out to Mt Sugarloaf.

I had to relinquish the bird and they told me I could ring back in the afternoon to hear the outcome. This is the sad part.

i) the bird had been (as I'd guessed) shot by someone with an air rifle.
ii) the wing was dreadfully fractured and a substantial amount of the humerus was missing.
iii) the bird 'could not recover' from this situation
iv) he was 'humanely euthanised' at 3pm.

I'm *so* upset by this on so many levels!

Firstly, what kind of arse**** would take pot-shots at an innocent little corella?
Secondly, why could the wing not have been strapped and allowed to heal as it might, even if surgery could not guarantee flight?
Thirdly, I advised the vet I was more than prepared to care for the bird in whatever ways might be required in order to give it a chance to survive. Since I'm not a licensed rescue-worker, by law the bird can't be released to me, but must be pts instead - even though I have an aviary, space, another corella and TIME to care for him!

So he died.

The poor neighbour-lady was distraught when I told her. She imagined he'd come home with me and live out his life with Rosetta. Secretly, so had I.

I know our wildlife laws are there for very good reasons but *some* of them defy logic!!!

Oh Trish, that's heartbreaking! Thank you so much for trying, my friend. Sometimes, the laws clearly make no sense at all.

That's awful.


I was wondering the same thing about the wing. A friend found a dove attacked by a cat and the wildlife people said/did the same thing about that bird (due to a severely fractured wing). I wonder if they always euthanize non-endangered wild animals when there is no hope of them living independently?


Sorry so sad.

Title is so true, a very sad, sad thing. People who harm animals on purpose have deep problems, as has been shown. I am so sorry for this little 'too.

It is surprising how few people even know that the vast majority of creatures that are found traveling though their backyards are not legal to have in their homes.

The American Bald Eagle is a great example as the cross-section /patchwork of laws across the US limit the care of Eagles that are injured to very few facilities. As a result, it is not uncommon for an injured Eagle to be allowed to die of its injuries.

With great wonder, an individual will take on the care of the eagle and it will return to its natural range.

Humans are just odd!

Been out there in the trenches myself with years of feral cat management. I have a number of the same kinds of stories! It sucks no matter what.

Aw I am so sorry to hear about this outcome . I also had something similar happen but with a squirrel. The baby squirrel was PTS because it had half a tail and I was told it couldn’t survive in the wild with half a tail as it wouldn’t be able to balance. Here comes the messed up part - there was a wild adult squirrel with half a tail who lived in my backyard - I used to feed all the squirrels. This guy who I named half tail (real creative ����) looked like he was living his life;wild chubby and happy. I felt so bad for the baby squirrel I took to the wildlife sanctuary.

If this happens again maybe take him to a regular vet and do emergency supportive care until them. Again I am very sorry for you and this wounded bird

What an awful event Trish. We had the same thing happen when we rescued a juvenile crimson rosella with a broken wing. We called wildlife and because it was Friday afternoon they asked us to nurse the parrot until someone could pick it up the following Monday. We made Ellie's travel cage her (I think it was female) little home and loved on her all weekend. She hopped about happily eating and drinking very well. When wildlife personnel picked her up I asked for first dibs at adoption if unable to release her into the wild. They called me later on Monday saying that she had been euthanized because birds with broken wings cannot be adopted out. I balled my eyes out and tore a strip out of them because I'd already said we would bring her home and care for her. We declared never to call wildlife again if we found an injured bird unless it obviously needed to be euthanized.

Ellie777Australia said:

What an awful event Trish. We had the same thing happen when we rescued a juvenile crimson rosella with a broken wing. We called wildlife and because it was Friday afternoon they asked us to nurse the parrot until someone could pick it up the following Monday. We made Ellie's travel cage her (I think it was female) little home and loved on her all weekend. She hopped about happily eating and drinking very well. When wildlife personnel picked her up I asked for first dibs at adoption if unable to release her into the wild. They called me later on Monday saying that she had been euthanized because birds with broken wings cannot be adopted out. I balled my eyes out and tore a strip out of them because I'd already said we would bring her home and care for her. We declared never to call wildlife again if we found an injured bird unless it obviously needed to be euthanized.

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That's so messed up. That must be what they all do...Euthanize if the bird cannot be housed by them or immediately released...

I'm so sorry for the poor little corella, Trish. Impossible to comprehend the heartless contempt officials have for injured animals. Blanket euthanasia is reprehensible despite willing, caring folks willing to provide homes.