Experts are warning of a growing crisis around the care of aging parrots in Canada, a recent CTV News story warns.
Parrots are exotic, undomesticated animals with complex needs who can live up to 80 years or longer. This means they often outlive their original guardians, or the circumstances that enabled a family to care for them.
A rescue in Ontario is pointing to a large demand for rescue services for birds who were bred and sold in the 70’s and 80’s. Still, parrots continue to be bred and imported for the pet trade, exacerbating the long-term strain on a system that is already struggling to keep up.
The VHS and animal allies are calling on the B.C. government to update the Controlled Alien Species regulation to prioritize animal welfare when determining which species can be kept, bred, and traded, and supporting a ban on the import of exotic species whose complex needs cannot be fully met in human care.