More than 300 exotic birds of around thirty species, such as macaws, lovebirds, cockatoos, parakeets or parrots, were left homeless. And some die. The Ave Fénix animal shelter in the province of Girona is in an emergency situation because it no longer has space to keep its animals. Now they are temporarily in a place given to them by an individual, but they must go. Gladys Freginals, the director of the protectorate, has unsuccessfully appealed to the Catalan government, the zoo, campsites and more than 20 consistories for help. Some have looked the other way and others are trapped in strict and slow regulation that offers no solutions unless bureaucratic procedures that can take a year are completed. And the moment is so critical that Freginals is considering extreme measures: “I was considering doing a perching parrot. I don’t want to close the protectorate, I want to fight for them, but I don’t know what to do anymore,” he says. Releasing invasive alien species is a crime.
Gladys Freginals, 62, ran an advertising company and in 2000, when she was trying to collect a debt, they paid her in exotic birds. This is how her love for these animals began, which led her to welcome everyone who came to her until they founded an association. There aren’t many bird protectors and that’s why it welcomes them from all over Catalonia and the rest of Spain. There were 350, all with their files, ages, living conditions and names. For example, Bartolo opens his quills when he sees a person and sings Cocota. The shelter’s bird population, most of which came from South America and Africa, grew for a variety of reasons: from owners who couldn’t keep their pets; Others have been rescued from being illegally traded in a container — like Patitas, a parrot whose legs had to be amputated due to an infection — or confiscated from their owners for mistreatment (which is why some birds squeak when they see a broom). You need veterinary help.
The Protector was originally in a Maçanet de la Selva ship, but was swept away by a storm. A patron from Porqueres (Pla de l’Estany) who had facilities and a zoo license offered them accommodation and they stayed for five years. Last August the owner needed the space. Since then, they have been desperately searching for a place to live in peace and security. A journey that affects the health of Gladys and also some birds that died stressed.
At the end of 2022, they settled in a rented warehouse for 500 euros a month, but in January the owner tripled the price. And they had to go. “We can’t afford that, we only finance ourselves through membership fees and donations,” he says. Being a member – there were 100 and there are still 38 – costs 50 euros a year and for 35 euros a year you can sponsor a bird. Some come with their owners’ promise to sponsor them for life, but “the promise is for the first month or two, then they’re forgotten and we have to bear the costs,” he regrets. “In three months we’ve been to two places and now in the space they gave me I can’t even build flyers because I have to go,” explains Gladys, who prefers not to reveal her current location for this reason. Nevertheless, on Wednesday someone left a cage with three nymphs in front of his door. “What am I doing? Should I release them, I’ve even considered occupying a place where it doesn’t bother me,” she says desperately and visibly moved.
Two of the protector’s birds.
Those in charge of the Generalitat’s Department of Climate Protection have responded to the protector’s requests but, while deploring the situation, claim that they cannot accommodate the birds in the Generalitat’s wildlife recreation centers. “They are hospitals for indigenous and protected wildlife and for health and biosecurity reasons they cannot house invasive wildlife.” They have also been referred to two other protectors in Berga and Barcelona. Gladys criticizes the attitude: “Lots of laws and regulations to protect animals, but little interest and many obstacles for animal rights activists.” And remember: “We are doing a public service that the administration should do and yet they let us in Quiet.”
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They have also contacted more than twenty municipalities and only Maçanet de la Selva, Llagostera and Lloret have replied. They were interested in the latter, and someone gave up a piece of land of 2,500 square meters. However, the current city plan (POUM) does not provide for a zoological core and it would take more than a year to change the plan. “There is an urgent need to react, we cannot bypass the POUM,” says the mayor of Lloret, Albert Robert. In Maçanet they looked for solutions, but in order to occupy agricultural land with a non-agricultural activity, a Special Activity Project (PAE) must be submitted. An expensive document that would only be the first step to requesting the declaration of a zoological nucleus, which also takes time. For the mayor of Maçanet de la Selva, Natàlia Figueras, “a regulatory change is necessary to facilitate the location of animals, even if they are provisional, waiting to regulate their situation while it is being processed.”
“I don’t want money, just a place for birds, the ideal would be to make it publicly accessible for two euros or voluntarily, with access for school children,” says Gladys. Their hope is that they can feast on these parrots, a family of birds of more than 400 species with a large, curved beak, colorful feathers, and a thick, fleshy tongue that allows them to make human sounds. In Ave Fénix, despite being locked in smaller spaces than they should be, the birds sing La cucaracha, asking for “a piece of bread” and greeting you with “Hello, Handsome”.
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