Rare Kea as a pet???

[Betrisher]

Well, we only euthanise incoming birds - I know a lot of birds that are caught outgoing are usually rehabilitated to the Australian Reptile Park at Somersby. Australian quarantine regulations are very strict because, being an island, we don't have many of the endemic diseases that exist overseas. Rabies is a good example. We'd like it to stay that way, so we quarantine like mad, just as you would if you'd brought a bird from an unknown background into your flock.

 

[Klaery]

Well, we only euthanise incoming birds - I know a lot of birds that are caught outgoing are usually rehabilitated to the Australian Reptile Park at Somersby. Australian quarantine regulations are very strict because, being an island, we don't have many of the endemic diseases that exist overseas. Rabies is a good example. We'd like it to stay that way, so we quarantine like mad, just as you would if you'd brought a bird from an unknown background into your flock.

Agreed. THey are harsh but I am glad they are there. Was glad to hear of your positive experiences with conservation programs. My background was in zoology and got to see many such programs up close and personal too. Some very good things going on

 

[Betrisher]

Oo! Klaery, where did you do your zoo.? I double majored in Botany and Zoology at the University of New England. It was a *wonderful* course and I met many fascinating people and had many amazing opportunities to see things few people do. Sigh. Great times.

Growing up, I was 'an animals girl', so everyone assumed I'd want to be a vet. I thought so too. When I didn't make it into vet school (I knew boys with lower marks than I who did!), I took 'second best' and did the course in zoo. Hah! Best thing that could possibly have happened to me! I had no idea you could actually study the whole, entire animal kingdom. It was an absolute pleasure for me and much more suited to my interests than simply being an animal doctor. Can't wait to hear your story!!!

 

[Klaery]

Oo! Klaery, where did you do your zoo.? I double majored in Botany and Zoology at the University of New England. It was a *wonderful* course and I met many fascinating people and had many amazing opportunities to see things few people do. Sigh. Great times.

Growing up, I was 'an animals girl', so everyone assumed I'd want to be a vet. I thought so too. When I didn't make it into vet school (I knew boys with lower marks than I who did!), I took 'second best' and did the course in zoo. Hah! Best thing that could possibly have happened to me! I had no idea you could actually study the whole, entire animal kingdom. It was an absolute pleasure for me and much more suited to my interests than simply being an animal doctor. Can't wait to hear your story!!!

haha small world Sounds like you had a great time! Do you work in a related field now days?

My BSc was in zoology and ecology at the University of Queensland. I also always wanted to be a vet when I was younger but from about 12 onward I was always in the bush and quickly realized dogs and cats were not going to cut it.

Same as you I got to work on some cool projects during uni (dugongs, turtles, water dragons, nail tailed wallabies) and did a fair bit of volunteering after uni with a few different animal behavior studies and with croc research. After that I did a bit of my own stuff with Australian tarantulas but never followed it through as I had to pay the bills (may write it up one day!).

Sold out and became a senior chem/biol teacher (one year of post grad) and been doing that for 2 and a half years. I love it but there is still the zoologist inside me that writes articles for a website and wants to do his masters on the side. Have to eat and get a house though so it takes the sideline for now. I just take trips away to photograph/see species or habitats that interest me for now

Great to meet another zool person

 

[Betrisher]

haha small world Sounds like you had a great time! Do you work in a related field now days?

I'm retired now. I've got an adult son with autism, so I'm his full-time carer. Mind you, the son is as animal-mad as I am and right into parrots as well. The Lovebirds are his babies and the Alexes are mine.

My BSc was in zoology and ecology at the University of Queensland. I also always wanted to be a vet when I was younger but from about 12 onward I was always in the bush and quickly realized dogs and cats were not going to cut it.

Yep! Same! For me, it was taxonomy that tickled my fancy. I've got one of those ridiculous memories that just retains the Latin and when you put that with a good eye for recalling faces - it worked out quite well!

Same as you I got to work on some cool projects during uni (dugongs, turtles, water dragons, nail tailed wallabies) and did a fair bit of volunteering after uni with a few different animal behavior studies and with croc research. After that I did a bit of my own stuff with Australian tarantulas but never followed it through as I had to pay the bills (may write it up one day!).

Gee, I envy you the reptile stuff! I've always been a birdo, though, and spent most of my early career doing stuff around the Hunter estuary in NSW. We have huge migratory wader populations that winter here and I did quite a bit of banding and population assaying back in the day.

Sold out and became a senior chem/biol teacher (one year of post grad) and been doing that for 2 and a half years. I love it but there is still the zoologist inside me that writes articles for a website and wants to do his masters on the side. Have to eat and get a house though so it takes the sideline for now. I just take trips away to photograph/see species or habitats that interest me for now

Listen carefully to me: DO NOT give up your dreams of continuing in your field!!! If you stay teaching, you'll be doing it when you're old and grey because it's easy. That's what I did. I taught school for mumblemumble years and then, when my son needed a full-time carer, I had to give that up. To this day, I regret taking the teaching path (although I did love the classroom and the kids... but the bureaucracy nearly drove me bonkers). Keep following your Masters course because that'll keep you in touch with what's going on and with jobs that crop up from time to time.

In my own case, I have found it's the truth that old taxonomists never die: they just reclassify themselves. Both our deans of Botany and Zoo were in their nineties when I was at Uni! So was the curator of the herbarium and the bloke in charge of the dingo study. Geez! You nearly had to have a pension before you qualified for a job!:30:

Great to meet another zool person

Yes!

 

[Wings]

Good point, however MANY parrots are endangered and captivity is saving them from extinction! If the Spix's macaw wasn't sold as a pet, it would be extinct now. I do not see them as a suitable pet parrot though.

The Spix isn't being sold as a pet.

And selling as pets doesn't save the wild species.

Only a few breeders in the USofA breed for sole purpose of conservation. Most breeders are in it for profit and very few really care about raising their babies correct or taking care or the parental birds correctly.

You don't need to to try and prove everything I say as wrong, as I DO have a reason for speaking and DOES have truth to it... All that aside, many moons ago, the spix's macaw WAS sold as pets, however the trade didn't necessarily destroy the species (it played a part though), it was never a common bird to begin with (very nervous birds who stress and die easily), and habitat loss was the main culprit. What's interesting about these birds are they are easy to breed, however HARD to raise. I'm not sure why they don't do parent raising, but I read they have a reputation for leaving their babies. (not sure the legitimacy on that though) :22:

 

[Wings]

wow this got off topic fast

 

[Betrisher]

I do beg your pardon! It didn't occur to me until too late that I could have sent a personal message. Back to your kea discussion...

 

[U2gal]

Good point, however MANY parrots are endangered and captivity is saving them from extinction! If the Spix's macaw wasn't sold as a pet, it would be extinct now. I do not see them as a suitable pet parrot though.

The Spix isn't being sold as a pet.

And selling as pets doesn't save the wild species.

Only a few breeders in the USofA breed for sole purpose of conservation. Most breeders are in it for profit and very few really care about raising their babies correct or taking care or the parental birds correctly.

You don't need to to try and prove everything I say as wrong, as I DO have a reason for speaking and DOES have truth to it... All that aside, many moons ago, the spix's macaw WAS sold as pets, however the trade didn't necessarily destroy the species (it played a part though), it was never a common bird to begin with (very nervous birds who stress and die easily), and habitat loss was the main culprit. What's interesting about these birds are they are easy to breed, however HARD to raise. I'm not sure why they don't do parent raising, but I read they have a reputation for leaving their babies. (not sure the legitimacy on that though) :22:

I'm sorry Wings, but if you're going to post wrong and skeptical information and posts, anyone has the right to respond back to you with their opinion or with facts. But just so you know, I wasn't trying to prove you wrong. This isn't highschool Before the 90s some Spix were kept as pets but then scientists realized the species faced extinction so they gathered up as many as they can. Have you read the Spix macaw book? Very detail oriented on the entire species

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Spixs-Macaw-Race-Worlds-Rarest/dp/074347550X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373549674&sr=8-1&keywords=the+spix+macaw+book"]Spix's Macaw: The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird: Tony Juniper: 9780743475501: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]

The reason the Saudi Arabian handrear their chicks because most of the breeders are handreared too. Which often makes poor breeders. Most critically endangered species are artificially incubated and handraised and then group housed with others of their own kind so they don't stay human imprinted.

Who would allow rare birds to incubate and feed their own chicks incase mishap happens? They would lose a life worth a lot.

Sadly, most of the Spix macaws are related. So eventually, they'll all be inbred which will cause the species to decline.

 

[Superbird]

I appreciate that people CORRECT misinformation. This could be very dangerous in forums.

You told Kalidasa that you were only kidding about keeping Keas as pets, and yet everything about your first post and your title stated otherwise? And no, I don't think that was meant to be 'kidding.'