'So far from home': Aussie woman 'deeply saddened' to find kookaburra for sale in US pet shop
An Australian woman living in the US made an alarming discovery inside her local pet store in Virginia – a kookaburra for sale for nearly A$1700.
Wendy Davidson was heartbroken when she visited the store on March 18, where she found the four-year-old bird, named Thunder, inside a small cage on his own, advertised for US$1199.99.
“I was deeply saddened to see one of our native protected species in a small cage alone and so far from home,” Ms Davidson said.
“Kookaburras mate for life and live in family groups. I couldn’t stop thinking about him being a prisoner in solitary confinement.”
The following day, Ms Davidson contacted more than 10 different agencies and authorities in Australia and Virginia, including the wildlife trafficking alliance, the Australian Consulate General in New York, and the US Department of Agriculture and Animal Care.
She was concerned at the responses she received and feared having to give up on the bird all together.
“Those that did reply basically fobbed me off or claimed that they didn’t have jurisdiction of the issue,” she said.
She also appealed to Australia Zoo to help save the bird, offering to assist in the process as she lived close to the pet store.
In light of her protest, the Australian Consulate General filed a report with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) on Tuesday.
Even in Australia it is illegal to keep a kookaburra as a pet, and those who rear sick or injured birds must attain a special permit.
Live native birds are prohibited from being exported from Australia for commercial purposes, however in Virginia, there are no laws preventing people from owning an exotic pet like a kookaburra.
In the wake of Ms Davidson’s protests, Thunder has built up a considerable fanbase in its native country, prompting one Queensland woman to set up a GoFundMe page to help the bird return home.
“We are hoping to raise some funds to bring him home or at least give him a better life where he is,” page organiser Michelle Crow wrote.
The page, which was set up on Wednesday, is yet to receive any donations towards its $2,000 target.
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