There is always strong debate when people parade exotic pets around in public. The common argument is that wildlife should be left alone to fend for themselves in their natural environment. But with natural habitat being obliterated from the face of the earth daily we need to look elsewhere to conserve and preserve wildlife. Education is at the very forefront of wildlife conservation. There are many serious concerns facing wildlife today and we are in a far better position to fix the problems if we know what’s going on around us. In a perfect world, it's preferable that animals remain in their natural environment. The person, pictured here, can be seen in Sydney most days walking around Circular Quay and on The Corso at Manly with his magnificent four-year-old pet Macaw perched on his shoulder. He raised the bird from the egg so it’s happy to be photographed with anyone if it helps spread the word that exotic animals are worth saving. We can all argue, and rightfully so too, that it would be better for the animal if it was returned to its natural habitat in the South American rainforest but in an ever shrinking natural environment this very popular parrot does more for the environment and furthering the conservation cause perched on someone’s shoulders than it could ever do in the wild.
Jens Ward
Words ④ Wildlife