Esther (aka Lester – He often drops the “L” in his name), is battling cancer. A troubling number of Moluccan Cockatoos in captivity develop cancer. No one knows why. Could it be from nutritional issues? These birds are only one or two generations removed from the wild. They originate from one specific island in Indonesia where they eat things that only grow there. Do they have finely-tuned digestive tracts which are missing some critical item – despite our best attempts to provide a variety of wholesome foods? Or, are they being exposed to environmental toxins in this part of the world to which they have no immunity? As I said – the cause is not known.
Anyway, Esther is a remarkable survivor and has been fighting cancer for over 8 years! He’ll never fly again, having lost too many feathers to the disease and subsequent treatment. And of course, he’ll never be able to live as a free-ranging bird. Captive parrots cannot be released to the wild for many reasons. But he’s twenty years old now and is consistently happy. He’s one of our best “ambassadors” because he is always interested in new people and ready to greet them with “Hellos” and cuddles.
As you can tell in this short video, he’s got tons of “spirit and Joie de Vivre!” He is full of life! And he’s a constant encourager to all of us when we face tough times. We’ve had many cancer survivors visit us at the refuge and they form an immediate bond with our pal Esther.
I really miss my pall Ester. He is such a snuggler, and a help while Maxine and I did the nut & seeds. He greets us and makes a bee line for me for a cuddle. He is always happy. I miss him down here in Mexico.. only 55 sleeps left!!
See you Ester really soon,
Love Michael & Maxine.
Dear Wendy,
I know that I am knew to your team.
I met with L(Ester)on Thurs. Feb.21/08
He seems to have taken a liking to me, his nature I suppose.
Question? If cancer became a problem could clay be lacking in his and others with similar conditions be the cause of the problem? I read that some species require this to help with digestive agents in the body. Perhaps minerals the birds aquire in the wild through a proccess we missed in our study of them got overlooked? I know we tend to do this with people and medical practioners.
This info came from the Parrot Jungle in Miami Florida
Again I am just learning so bear with me when I question the health of the birds at the Rufuge…Thank You.
Michael – I’ll tell him you’re thinking of him!
Robert – I’ve forwarded your question to Wendy. She’s very busy (as usual) but hopefully I can post her response soon. I too have noted that many parrots in the wild eat clay and other sources of minerals. As far as I know – no one really understands this.
Cheers – Grant