Pictures of our staff and volunteers hard at work, with thanks to Lea Hoorn, who worked so tirelessly in our gift shop. Thanks Lea!

It's never easy saying goodbye to loved ones, and in the case of larger-than-life inspirational cancer survivor, Esther, the Moluccan cockatoo, it's even more difficult. You've read lots of stories about Esther on the website. Originally named Lester, but very fond of dropping the L, Lester quickly became Esther, and Esther worked his way into everybody's heart, feathered or otherwise.

Wendy writes: "Esther came to us when he was 12 years old from a great and loving family, who wanted him to have the best life he could possibly have. Esther was with us for about 10 years. He had squamous cell carcinoma, which is a skin cancer - deadly in humans - most people die with within the first year. Esther had this type of cancer for about 8 years. He had 14 surgeries and 10 chemotherapy therapy treatments in the early stages, and went into remission for a year and a half, but then it came back. He reacted very badly to the next round of chemo so we had to stop. He was given 3 months to live - about 4 years ago!

Esther with one of his flock, former staff supervisor, Corinna

"We tried a new treatment as follows: Esther said, "Cancer, go away" every day, and then I kissed it better with magical healing kisses. The cancer was almost gone on the outside. Esther was very happy and did all the educational shows with me. Esther greeted people when they arrived at the sanctuary. Esther was the sanctuary. Recently, Esther has looked the best he has ever looked since the cancer first came. He was a great weight and his feathers were fabulous. He even had new wing feathers coming in."

However, on October 11, Esther passed away in a moment. As is fitting for a friend who gave so much to all of us, he did not suffer at all. And he was by Wendy's side, so he was not alone.

We should let our beloved Esther have the last word, from this video taken by volunteer Grant Corriveau. Fly high, strong, and free, Esther. We love you!

This past weekend, Dixie and Sasha, along with Kiwi, Kelly and Esther represented the refuge at the Country Club Mall's annual "animal" day.

Dixie and Sasha got right into the spirit of the day with some beautiful face-paints. Kiwi's not too sure:

I wonder if Kelly and Esther would have wanted one too?

If you are in the Nanaimo area this Saturday, May 10, how about heading out to the Country Club Mall for the 2nd Annual SPCA Pet Show? Sasha and Dixie will be there representing the Refuge, and will be chaperoned by some feathered ambassadors. Memberships and other goodies will be on sale. Sasha and Dixie will be looking for hard-working volunteers to join our team. They will also be providing information about the virtual adoption program, and other facets of the Refuge operation.

The SPCA asked Esther if he would make the draw for their raffle. Esther agreed graciously, and is getting his beak polished for the occasion.

Likewise, if you are in Parksville on Saturday, May 10, our founder, Wendy Huntbatch, will be operating a display at the Parksville SPCA open house, and will be available to answer your questions.

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.

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!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"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)

"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.