Previously on Monty’s Second Chance: Monty joins the other confiscated illegal pet birds in the large aviary at LVV. Monty gets excited to be with all the other parrots but then finds it's actually a bit dull. Two men put Monty and eight of his friends in boxes, They go to a new aviary surrounded by trees.
Monty and the other parrots screamed with joy and excitement. It was all green around them. This new aviary was different to the last one, it stood as tall as those green trees so Monty and his friends could see all around the area where they were. The others had also now spotted the strange parrot doors and there was tangible tingle of nervous excitement. "What do you think they are for?" 'We're going out into the real world, aren't we?", "I'm so excited I feel like I do when I've have too much coffee", "Will I'll get to see my mum again?", "I want to go now, let's go!"
The flock flew from end to end of the aviary, to the low perches and up steeply to the high perches. It wasn't long before they were all tired. Even Monty, who by regular parrot standards had already had a relatively turbulent short life wasn't used to this much emotional turmoil. But it wasn't long before the excitement and nerves died down to more a serene yogic calm.
The next few days passed peacefully as Monty and his friends settled in. They liked their feeding schedule and quickly got accustomed to the new routine. They could see crops growing in the distance and there were parakeets feeding on the seeds. A family group of sleek black birds, the Smooth-billed Ani fed near the aviary and the parrots watched with interest. And then one morning Monty heard wild parrots in the distance. He shouted and then his friends who also heard them shouted too. Although they couldn't see them they could hear the wild parrots getting closer and then they appeared. They circled the aviary and landed without fuss or mishap right on top. Monty and his friends could not believe it. It was amazing. Here were too real live, wild parrots.
Monty thought they spoke funny! Everybirdy made polite introductions, but then in a moment they were gone again. They had to forage they said. Monty was shocked, humbled and inspired. Even in such a brief encounter he had noticed that these two wild birds were in perfect condition. Their bodies were toned, they had arrived after flying some distance yet they were not out of breath. They flew with precision and their feathers were nothing short of perfect. The wild parrots had to forage because after all their food was not brought to them in a stainless steel bowl each morning.
Monty became pensive, he realised he himself and indeed all the others were in no shape to be free. They flew like Kakapos, which of course dear reader is the heaviest and most flightless of all parrots weighing in at up to four, yes four kilograms! Monty decided, in much the same way that young couples preparing for their wedding day photos now do, that he must go on a diet and adopt a strict training regime in preparation for his day of freedom.
Any possibility of not adopting a new training regime was taken from him and his friends the very next day. The nice man who brought food each day, just as he had that morning appeared at the aviary with "The Pillowcase of Doom". Having been caught at LVV by The Pillowcase of Doom" Monty and his friends already knew this was not good. The man entered the aviary, their home, and waved The Pillowcase of Doom at Monty. He and the other parrots flew as quickly as they could away from the man and... The Pillowcase of Doom. This was not enough because the man chased after them. This continued for another few minutes and then as quickly as he arrived the man stopped and left along with The Pillowcase of Doom. Monty decided he didn't really like the man any more.
This strange and scary event happened each day for longer and longer times and by different humans. At times it was more tortuous than a spinning class but equally and almost without realising Monty was getting fitter, leaner and taughter with each passing day. Monty was inching closer to being the supreme athlete he would need to be in order to survive in the wild.
There were times when Monty wondered if it was all worth it. This Long Walk to Freedom was so hard. Maybe being an accountant wasn't so bad. When the scary human came it was so much worse than accounting, it was like writing grant applications, and Monty didn't like it one bit. He longed for the day he could land in those trees outside the aviary. The day he would be free. He just wanted all the stress and strain, the endless lack of privacy, and the aviaries imposing boundaries to disappear so he could lead a simple and happy parrot life. He just wanted to be with his family, with his loving mother and caring father who he had not seen in so long. It would just have been so much easier if he had not been knocked from that wire. Poor Monty had had such a hard life. No parrot deserved to endure such things.
Monty was an optimist by nature and he always managed to pick himself up from these down moments. It was hard but he was doing so well. It was just that he longed so much for the day those parrot doors would open. And then without warning or invitation that day arrived.
Again dear reader we must end our story before Monty steps out into the world. We will have to continue rather embarrassingly with a part five of this misnamed two part tale but rest assured that in the very next blog posting the incredible moment when Monty has his Second Chance will be regaled. Please do take a look at the very latest news on Echo’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/echobonaire.org (you don’t have to be “on” Facebook to view this page but if you are pleae like the page and share it with your friends!)
Parrot Bloggers
Search by:
