Recently the refuge was subjected to another beating: this time from the weather. In the recent storms that flooded parts of the west coast of Canada, coming at the end of a day without power, a storm tore out of the darkness on November 15 and ripped a huge section from the roof of the Macaw House.

In the virtual twilight of the buildings, the sound of the roof being torn away piece by piece sounded like thunder, scaring many of our residents. Pieces of steel roof were twisted and thrown everywhere. Sheets of tar paper followed, like ribbons dancing on the wind. One of the sliding doors was smashed by a panel of flying steel. Moreover, torrential rain destroyed the insulation in the Macaw House before we could get tarps in place over the gaping hole. Miraculously, the storm hit the part of the refuge that was empty and undergoing restoration. No birds were injured, although they had been chilled by the lack of heating and light throughout the day.

Whilst waiting for the damages to be assessed, the refuge is left to carry the costs of replacing the steel panels, tar paper and insulation. If you can help contribute to the repairs, please click on the "Donate Now" button below to proceed to the CanadaHelps.org website to make a secure online donation via credit card, or visit the Donations page for other options.

Every donation helps, no matter how small. Thank you.

Please click on the thumbnails below to learn how you can help some special birds have a home for life through our "Virtual Adoption" program! More stories coming soon!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"This is, in a word, a great place and these miraculous creatures deserve no less, but few places can deliver it this well. It is, indeed, 'world class'."

– Stewart Metz (author and Director of the Indonesian Parrot Project), after his visit at the Grand Opening of the Refuge on August 13, 2005.

"The World Parrot Refuge is a true sanctuary where parrots live out their lives in a loving, spacious and happy environment under the guidance of extraordinarily caring people. The many visitors destined to pass through the refuge will come to understand that parrots are not toys or trophies, but beings with needs and emotions as real as our own."

– Rosemary Low (author of more than 30 books on parrots)