What a weekend! Fox and parakeet rescue

[Lazy Llama]

These two have taken up most of the weekend.

The fox is a young one with very bad mange that was reported in a local group.
We spent several hours on Saturday trying to catch it, and on Sunday went to Plumstead to pick up a proper trap from the Fox Angels organisation.

No success with the trap on Sunday evening but we got up early this morning and were down there at 7am. She (we think it’s a female) was caught at about 8am. Fox Angels have sorted us out with a carer so we transported her to deepest Essex (Colchester) and everyone seems quite positive about a full recovery.

The bird is a Monk Parakeet which Mrs Llama found walking round in Millwall Park on Sunday morning. It doesn’t seem to be able to fly but apart from that seems okay. Quite possibly a fledgling but there weren’t any others close to where we found it walking along the pavement. If we hadn’t got it, some predator would have made short work of it. That may just be me trying to persuade myself that we didn’t steal a baby bird.

So it’s now living in our downstairs bathroom with some food and water. Because they’re an invasive species it’s illegal to release it. Our road has one of the only feral colonies of Monk Parakeets in the UK.

So it looks like we now have a juvenile parakeet, at least until we can find someone who wants one. We’ve ordered a cage and a full set of parakeet entertainment options.

It’s extremely endearing. They live for 20-30 years. FFS, what have we done!?

 

[Epona]

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These two have taken up most of the weekend.

The fox is a young one with very bad mange that was reported in a local group.
We spent several hours on Saturday trying to catch it, and on Sunday went to Plumstead to pick up a proper trap from the Fox Angels organisation.

No success with the trap on Sunday evening but we got up early this morning and were down there at 7am. She (we think it’s a female) was caught at about 8am. Fox Angels have sorted us out with a carer so we transported her to deepest Essex (Colchester) and everyone seems quite positive about a full recovery.

The bird is a Monk Parakeet which Mrs Llama found walking round in Millwall Park on Sunday morning. It doesn’t seem to be able to fly but apart from that seems okay. Quite possibly a fledgling but there weren’t any others close to where we found it walking along the pavement. If we hadn’t got it, some predator would have made short work of it. That may just be me trying to persuade myself that we didn’t steal a baby bird.

So it’s now living in our downstairs bathroom with some food and water. Because they’re an invasive species it’s illegal to release it. Our road has one of the only feral colonies of Monk Parakeets in the UK.

So it looks like we now have a juvenile parakeet, at least until we can find someone who wants one. We’ve ordered a cage and a full set of parakeet entertainment options.

It’s extremely endearing. They live for 20-30 years. FFS, what have we done!?

In the UK there are very few Monk's Parakeets (Quaker Parrots) living wild here (fewer than 200 estimated in the entire UK) so unless you know of a local feral population it is almost certainly an escaped pet (or possibly stolen from a breeder), although most breeders will ring them using a closed ring system when chicks - but lack of one doesn't necessarily mean that it is feral, I once had a budgie had to have his ring sawn off by the vet as it was causing his leg some irritation.

Checking it for a microchip (the chip goes in the breast muscle usually) would be a good first step, although it might not be chipped if it escaped/was stolen young. It also looks to be very calm being handled - someone is probably missing that bird.

Also this:

Missing Birds search the UK for missing birds

Find lost Bird Register Search our missing birds databases for lost my bird. Our lost bird cover all UK areas with Pet Matching.

www.nationalpetregister.org

EDIT: BALLS just saw that you DO have a local feral colony, reading r hard.

 

[marty21]

Great rescue work there !

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Your a genuinely good man.

The bird is a Monk Parakeet which Mrs Llama found walking round in Millwall Park on Sunday morning. It doesn’t seem to be able to fly but apart from that seems okay. Quite possibly a fledgling but there weren’t any others close to where we found it walking along the pavement. If we hadn’t got it, some predator would have made short work of it. That may just be me trying to persuade myself that we didn’t steal a baby bird.

So it’s now living in our downstairs bathroom with some food and water. Because they’re an invasive species it’s illegal to release it. Our road has one of the only feral colonies of Monk Parakeets in the UK.

Our road has one of the only feral colonies of Monk Parakeets in the UK.

Coincidence?

 

[Lazy Llama]

Coincidence?

Pretty sure it wasn’t. But you see a bird walking about on the ground when you normally ever see that type squawking in trees and it fires up the whatsgoingonhere-glands.

Now sort of obliged to look after it.

At least it’s not as bad with grey squirrels. You find one of those injured or catch one in a trap, euthanising is the only legally permitted course of action.

 

[marty21]

Pretty sure it wasn’t. But you see a bird walking about on the ground when you normally ever see that type squawking in trees and it fires up the whatsgoingonhere-glands.

Now sort of obliged to look after it.

At least it’s not as bad with grey squirrels. You find one of those injured or catch one in a trap, euthanising is the only legally permitted course of action.

The late & great Badgers did just that with a grey squirrel

 

[May Kasahara]

But did he eat it afterwards?

Off to check the "I want to eat a squirrel" thread.

 

[Supine]

But did he eat it afterwards?

Off to check the "I want to eat a squirrel" thread.

Careful now, they are stuffed full of crack

 

[Yossarian]

Well done on the rescues.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to take the fox, the parakeet, and a bag of birdseed across a river in a rowboat but you only have space for one thing at a time, I think I know a solution.

 

[BoatieBird]

It’s extremely endearing. They live for 20-30 years. FFS, what have we done!?

I know someone who found an African grey parrot (subsequently named Madge) in a snowstorm when she was an undergraduate at Oxford.
They were still together when she retired

 

[story]

I knew they were smart but I didn’t realise African Greys were Oxbridge material.

 

[Lazy Llama]

Kevin (temporary name, but you know how these things go) is relaxing to the mellow sounds of Classic FM while dining on fresh fruit, veg and seeds.
A cage, proper food and a number of toys are due to arrive tomorrow.

Advice for fledglings generally is to move them to a place of safety nearby rather than "rescuing" them, so it looks like that was a mistake. But we didn't think he'd last long on the ground near a road, with cats and foxes around.
Learning experience.

 

[Thora]

I think often baby birds spend a few days on the ground with the parents still feeding them. Intuitively this feels like a terrible survival strategy and you’d assume cats and foxes get most of them, but I guess enough must survive

 

[story]

I think often baby birds spend a few days on the ground with the parents still feeding them. Intuitively this feels like a terrible survival strategy and you’d assume cats and foxes get most of them, but I guess enough must survive

Maybe by then they’re at the Kevin stage of growing up and the parents are all, like, “for the love of god please won’t someone take this child from me and teach them some manners!”

 

[story]

Kevin (temporary name, but you know how these things go) is relaxing to the mellow sounds of Classic FM while dining on fresh fruit, veg and seeds.
A cage, proper food and a number of toys are due to arrive tomorrow.

Advice for fledglings generally is to move them to a place of safety nearby rather than "rescuing" them, so it looks like that was a mistake. But we didn't think he'd last long on the ground near a road, with cats and foxes around.
Learning experience.

How long do they live? So an ongoing twenty year learning experience...

 

[story]

There are lots of people who free-fly their birds in London by the way.




Proper training is needed but starting young helps.

 

[WouldBe]

Because they’re an invasive species it’s illegal to release it. Our road has one of the only feral colonies of Monk Parakeets in the UK.

It could always 'escape'.

 

[Lazy Llama]

It could always 'escape'.

Indeed. Once I figure it's 'safe' I'll consider what would be best for it.

 

[Lazy Llama]

Latest picture of the fox, now named Alf, who is making a fantastic recovery.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Mange is such a bastard! Our Sid is just coming to the end of his 4 week weekly treatment - & this is the third time he’s had the mite since being born. His mum on the other hand who is pushing 5 years old now has never had it. Not once!

So pleased for Alf.

 

[bcuster]

what is the little fox eating?

 

[Lazy Llama]

what is the little fox eating?

No idea. He’s in foxy rehab through Fox Angels, so “good for foxes” stuff, I’d imagine.

When we caught him he was very happy to have wet cat food.