Beppo, Flora, Arthur, Dino, Caesar & Co
The Gut Aiderbichl parrot house and its residents
Parrots have been kept as luxury animals since ancient times. Even then, there was a great fascination with these highly intelligent animals. The touch of exoticism, the extravagance and that certain something that a parrot brings with it appeals to many people – then as now.
However, people back then did not know enough about these marvellous animals and whether or not keeping them alone in a castle tower in Central Europe was species-appropriate. But people today should actually know better and unfortunately often make the same “mistakes” as back then…
Cäsar – Gut Aiderbichl residents thanks to animal protection
The normally very sociable white-crested cockatoo Caesar also found himself living alone in a flat in Bavaria. He was kept company by his human and female dog Paula. Nice enough, but not nearly enough for a bird that lives in huge flocks. Humans simply cannot replace conspecifics. The animal lover lovingly looked after her friend. But she was also aware that he would probably outlive her, as the life expectancy of a parrot is around 100 years. So she decided to get in touch with Gut Aiderbichl and took out our animal insurance. This is how Caesar and his friend, the dog Paula, became Aiderbichlers in 2011.
Beppo – A cheeky resident
Presumably someone had not correctly estimated the life expectancy of the Moluccan cockatoo Beppo and his fellow species, because for this or perhaps another reason, one day they found themselves at a sanctuary for parrots in Munich. They were lovingly cared for and looked after there. But the owners were also faced with a problem: they had simply become too old to take responsibility for their charges on their own – the work had become too hard for them. So they turned to Gut Aiderbichl. From then on, the 50 or so parrots had the chance of a long, species-appropriate life without ever being in distress again. Beppo didn’t notice any of this. With a sweet, croaking “hello”, he still invites unsuspecting humans to come closer. And when people do, they are in for a surprise. Of course, Beppo’s schadenfreude is included.
Flora – Caught by wildlife trappers
The fate of grey parrot lady Flora also affected us in a special way. Her life began in the deep jungle areas of Cameroon. She was free, wild and unbound. Together with her flock, she lived a life that nature had intended for parrots. But then everything changed: wildlife trappers caught her in 1995 and took her to Germany, where she was forced to live alone. The sudden silence must have been unbearable for Flora. We can’t imagine how she must have felt. An animal lover rescued her from her unfortunate situation and actually wanted to improve it. Unfortunately, due to a painful separation and a big move, the animal lover was unable to fulfil her promise. Desperate, she asked us to take in her friend Flora, because she wanted nothing more than a species-appropriate life for her friend.
Emergency in Vienna – 323 parakeets become Aiderbichler
Not only parrots are housed in Gut Aiderbichl Gänserndorf’s parrot house, but also many parakeets, such as budgerigars and cockatiels. A social worker contacted the Gut Aiderbichl administration in 2017 and asked for help. She had a client who kept 80 pet birds in Vienna and was completely overwhelmed with their care. Dieter Ehrengruber did not hesitate and immediately agreed to take her in. The Gut Aiderbichl Gänserndorf team set off and travelled to the address. We were very shocked by what we found there. The whole flat was uninhabitable, full of droppings and rubbish. The parakeets had taken over the flat and driven the occupant out. The woman was completely overwhelmed and loved her animals very much.
But she was no longer able to care for her protégés. So Arthur, Carla, Dino, Kiki, Obelix and their 318 friends became Aiderbichlers, with the promise that they would be allowed to stay until the end of their natural lives.
We have told you the fates of Beppo, Flora, Arthur, Dino, Caesar and Co on behalf of all our more than 300 rescued parrots and parakeets to introduce you to a few of our protégés and make an appeal to all parrot lovers and those interested in parrots: Please find out exactly how to keep a parrot, be aware that a parrot needs conspecifics and please bear in mind that even an Amazon has a life expectancy of 40 years. Keeping a parrot takes a lot of time, love and patience, and every new parrot owner must be aware of this.
Also ask yourself where your new family member might come from. After all, wild-caught birds are not uncommon, even in this day and age. It is not without reason that around 99% of all parrot species are on the list of endangered species…
It is only thanks to your support, dear Aiderbichlers and animal lovers, that we can help so many parrots and parakeets and give them a species-appropriate life until the end of their natural lives. Please continue to support us with a symbolic sponsorship or a donation. We and our animals thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
