In a newly released video Academy Award-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg has joined forces with The Humane Society of the United States to speak out about the inhumane treatment of exotic birds.
Eisenberg was the voice of a macaw in the hugely successful animated feature film “Rio” which highlighted the trafficking in exotic birds and the decimation of wild populations, and is set to reprise the role in the upcoming sequel, “Rio 2.”
In the video, Eisenberg asks that people think twice before buying an exotic pet bird, as the growing demand for parrots and other popular species fuels the global exotic bird trade and accounts for the countless homeless parrots overwhelming rescue groups and animal shelters across the United States.
“If an animal’s natural home is in the wild, then chances are, that’s where it belongs,” Eisenberg states in the video. “Unfortunately, the demand for these intelligent, complex creatures – whether captive-bred or wild caught – is decimating the wild parrot species.”
Eisenberg’s appeal comes on the heels of cruelty charges filed recently against an Ohio facility from which more than 130 parrots and other birds were rescued in May. The Humane Society of Greater Dayton and the Moraine police department called in The HSUS’s Animal Rescue Team to assist with the seizure of the birds, who were living in deplorable conditions, and appeared to suffer from malnutrition, dehydration, mental distress and zoonotic diseases.
“We are grateful to Jesse Eisenberg for helping us to raise awareness of the growing problem of unwanted captive birds in this country,” said Adam Parascandola, director of animal cruelty investigations for The HSUS. “Parrots are highly intelligent, social, and long-lived animals whose complex needs cannot be met by most owners, which is why so many are abandoned.”
Many of the millions of parrots kept as pets in the U.S. are captive-bred, but many still find their way here via the illegal trade in wild-caught parrots, despite the U.S. ban on their importation.
Those interested in helping parrots and other captive birds can explore adoption and supporting reputable bird rescues and sanctuaries. Visit humanesociety.org/helpparrots to learn more.
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9 months ago
I doubt if you will print the "other side of the story" but I believe to be fair to all, the public should be aware of this info about so-called abused or stressed parrots (parrots in bad feather condition). This is what lead to that video starring Jesse Eisenberg.
Just because a "celebrity" who is the voice of a cartoon parrot and reads a script in a video, it does NOT mean that he is an expert on parrot abuse, ownership, or whether or not parrots belong in the jungles instead of in your home. The info in the video is misleading to the public, to those people who know NOTHING about parrot ownership. The script was written by the HSUS, which is involved in the court case which lead to this video after all....
This is “Parrot Psychology 101”:
Parrots are companion animals (pets). Domestic parrots cannot be shipped back to the jungles. They would not survive. The tropical forests in the jungles are being destroyed and cut down, which will eventually mean no food, no nesting places, no eggs, no baby birds, extinction of all parrots. US bred parrots are healthier and it saves species from extinction. Parrots are not like tigers and lions and bears, which should be banned as pets. Parrots pick their own feathers for various reasons (to line their nests, if they are unhappy with that owner, breeder birds pick at each other’s feathers, etc.) A parrot’s picking situation could have started YEARS before also. Bald spots on parrots mean that the bird has merely destroyed its feather follicles and sometimes feathers won’t come back in that spot. A picked, non-pretty bird can be perfectly healthy.
Therefore there was no real reason to take those parrots from that rescue organization involved. Other issues may be involved, but there certainly was no abuse of those parrots by that Rescue Organization in Ohio. The HSUS now has the pictures it wanted of the so-called abused parrots to gain more donations for their own organization. Just some things to think about.
A Rescue Organization is a parrot's safe haven for rehoming. ALSO, the HSUS does not seem to understand that feather picked birds are TAKEN IN by Rescuers. That is what a Rescue organization DOES. All Rescues have birds in bad feather condition in their possession.
Parrot care is nothing like caring for a dog or a cat. The HSUS specializes in rescuing cats and dogs and farm animals. Parrots are a new animal classification for them. I am not saying that issues should not be investigated, only that more education on the species involved needs to be done by agencies before criminally charging any rescue person with bogus abuse charges.
Suddenly after this raid, the HSUS feels no-one should own a parrot. Well, I do not agree with them. If the HSUS had its way, no one would own a parrot, there would be no need for parrot rescue, and any healthy, but old parrots needing homes would just be euthanized. I do not call that attitude "saving" any pet.
I just caution anyone viewing that video to consider the script with a grain of salt. Ownership of one parrot in bad feather condition should not involve bogus criminal abuse charges for anyone, let alone a Rescue Organization who is only trying to help out. This is just "the other side of the so-called parrot abuse story".
A Parrot Owner
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