Australian woman is horrified to find a kookaburra on sale for $1,200 in an American pet shop

‘He’s on the other side of the world, living in confinement’: Australian woman is shocked to find a kookaburra on sale for $1,200 in a US pet shop

  • An Australian woman living in the US found the bird in a pet shop in Virginia 
  • The kookaburra has been caged up for 4 years and is on sale for US$1,200 
  • The woman said she was deeply saddened and phoned authorities immediately  
  • Australian authorities weren’t able to do anything so the bird remains in the shop

An Australian woman has found a kookaburra caged up and on sale for $1,200 in a US pet shop.

Wendy Davidson – who has been living in the US state of Virginia since 2015 – said she heard about the bird and decided to visit the local pet store to see for herself. 

‘I was deeply saddened to see one of our native protected species in a small cage alone and so far from home,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.   

‘I couldn’t stop thinking about him being a prisoner in solitary confinement.’ 

Ms Davidson said the pet shop told her the bird had held been at the store for more than four years.  

The next day, Ms Davidson contacted several different US authorities to find out what she could do to rescue the bird, which the shop had named Thunder. 

She reached out to zoos both back in Australia and in Virginia, as well as the wildlife trafficking alliance, the Australian Consulate General in New York, and the US Department of Agriculture and Animal Care. 

‘Those that did reply basically fobbed me off or claimed that they didn’t have jurisdiction of the issue,’ Ms Davidson said. 

Ms Davidson went on a Kookaburra crusade, contacting several different US authorities to find out what she could do to rescue him the bird the shop had named Thunder

Feeling frustrated about the lack of care and concern, she contacted Australian authorities and zoos, who shared her shock and sadness over the captivity of the iconic Australian bird.

The Australian Wildlife and Protection Council were worried if they bought the kookaburra it would start a supply and demand for the native animal, and said Ms Davidson should simply leave the bird in the store. 

Live native birds cannot be exported from Australia for primarily commercial purposes, under Australian environmental law. 

According to the NSW Native Animal Keepers’ Species List, a permit is required and they aren’t allowed to be kept as a companion pet. 

Only Australian native birds that are bred in captivity can be exported, not wild birds. 

However in Virginia, there aren’t laws or regulations stopping people from owning exotic birds, such as kookaburras.

Ms Davidson said she went back to check if Thunder was still in the pet shop on Monday - 10 days after spotting him - to find him still caged up and on sale

Ms Davidson said she went back to check if Thunder was still in the pet shop on Monday – 10 days after spotting him – to find him still caged up and on sale

Symbio Wildlife Park, from south of Sydney, told her the bird may simply be a 10th-generation captive-bred bird, whose ancestors were exported to the US years ago before the laws were tightened.   

Melbourne-born Ms Davidson received an online response from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, advising her to download the Wildlife Witness app, which allows people to report suspicious trade or trafficking of wildlife.    

Ms Davidson said she went back to check if Thunder was still in the pet shop on Monday – 10 days after spotting him – to find him still caged up and on sale.   

‘No one is going to pay $1,200 for him,’ she said. ‘He’s been living there for four years in captivity.’

Australian woman Wendy Davidson - who lives in the US state of Virginia - found the kookaburra for sale in a local pet shop for US$1,200

Australian woman Wendy Davidson – who lives in the US state of Virginia – found the kookaburra for sale in a local pet shop for US$1,200

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk