Military Macaw Endangered being stationed in Korea need help!

[military_mom]

I'm not sure where else to go or what else to do. We are an Army family. I'm the operations manager at a local parrot rescue. I adopted our military macaw there 9 months ago. My husband has come down on orders for us all to move to Korea. I did all the research including checking CITES and submitted an application to US Fish and Wildlife to export and import our bird with us. I submitted the application in June and just received the denial back. They stated that him going as our pet doesn't help the ESA reduce the threat of extinction or benefit the species in the wild. I can request reconsideration. My hope is that putting together a Military Macaw Community Outreach Program and making him the "ambassador" to aid in education, that this will work? I put together a 6 page pamphlet so far and have contacted schools on Osan Air Base, the Vet office, the USO, MWR and two youth programs to see if they would allow me to offer a "workshop."
Has anyone else EVER gone through this? If so what did they do? Are there any loopholes or ANYTHING I can do to take my baby with me? He's 30yrs old and has already had such a rough life. I can't imagine having to put him back into the rescue he came from. My heart is breaking! I just can't believe there is no apathy for the birds life in question when the "species" is protected...

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

He’s beautiful! I’m not sure about any loop holes but I really hope the education thing works. Fingers crossed for keeping him!

 

[Shezbug]

I am not sure if there are any loop holes or anything like that but my thinking is if you are likely coming back to where you are now at any time maybe someone would look after him long term for you while you are away? I am grasping at straws as I would also hate to see him put back into a shelter or rescue type situation.

@Macawnutz, @Hankmacaw may know more about the laws and any loopholes or be able to point you to someone else who does but I am not really sure if there will be any way around it to be honest as I am led to believe they are pretty strict with the laws regarding birds on the list

 

[Karen]

They stated that him going as our pet doesn't help the ESA reduce the threat of extinction or benefit the species in the wild.

I don't understand why they are expecting your personal pet to help the ESA. Are they mistaking your application to travel and visit temporarily with your pet for something else?

 

[Clueless]

First, thank you for your service.

We've had a few folks leave the country before with their pets but remember, you also HAVE TO RETURN with your pet. Make sure that you clearly understand the paperwork to get him back INTO the United States.

I agree with @Shezbug if you can find someone to care for him while you are out of the country, that may be the way to go. If you do that, please do a contract. You want to make sure your adorable little ball of feathers is returned to you upon your return.

 

[military_mom]

The problem is because he's endangered. That immediately puts him in a different bracket and takes precedence over anything. According to US Fish and Wildlife and the Endangered Species Act, it doesn't matter if he's already a pet now or what happens to him as long as he isn't exported. But I agree above, him being a pet now as it is doesn't do anything for ESA. But at least with me as his caretaker/owner he has a wonderful quality of life. There's no guarantee that will happen if we're forced to put him back in the rescue and he is adopted by someone else. Or heaven forbid the rescue close after we leave then where does he go? There's only a couple in the entire state. I understand the purpose of their laws, however for situations like this, they aren't considering the actual welfare of the bird at hand.

 

[Clueless]

Do you have friends or family there?

How long are you going to be out of the country?

 

[Hankmacaw]

I have heard that there is and organization within the military services where people in the USA will care for the pets of military members who are transferred to foreign countries. I can't find anything about it right now, but maybe some of our super-searcher members can find out more.

Unfortunately, the Military Macaw was one of the first macaws "protected" under the totally stupid and absolutely ineffective CITES rules. Which adds even more levels of complications to buying/selling/trading or gifting certain species of macaws.

Perhaps @Mizzely can find some of the references that I seem to have lost.

 

[Mizzely]

Since CITES is worldwide, even if you get him out, you may experience issues getting him back in or even going to another country from there. You risk him being seized at every leg of your journey without a CITES passport Even ITEMS made from parts of endangered species can be confiscated.

Now, one thing you could do is contact some zoos for advice, as they sometimes need to export or import endangered species.

 

[sunnysmom]

Could you possibly find someone to take care of him here while you're gone? Have proper paperwork drawn up that he's yours and you will take him back etc?

 

[redindiaink]

I'm looking at the restrictions ... wow.

When did the Act come into effect? One document I found from Fish & Wildlife says if the bird is "pre-Act" then some of the restrictions of the Endangered Species Act won't apply. If the bird is old enough, and it can be proved, you might be able to use that to appeal.

And where did you find the toy with the rings, numbers and shapes? It looks like a great toy for teaching birds.

 

[Mizzely]

You could look into these services:

Welcome To Dogs On Deployment | Dogs On Deployment

Military Foster Program - PACT for Animals

Military Pets - FosterDogs

 

[military_mom]

I'm looking at the restrictions ... wow.

When did the Act come into effect? One document I found from Fish & Wildlife says if the bird is "pre-Act" then some of the restrictions of the Endangered Species Act won't apply. If the bird is old enough, and it can be proved, you might be able to use that to appeal.

And where did you find the toy with the rings, numbers and shapes? It looks like a great toy for teaching birds.

He would only qualify for the pre-act if I had possession of him as well prior to it. Even though he was born before it, I adopted him after the act so we don't qualify.

I actually found it on Amazon. I hot glued the pegs in place that hold the rings. If i left him unsupervised with it he'd destroy it lol

 

[military_mom]

Do you have friends or family there?

How long are you going to be out of the country?

2 years

 

[military_mom]

Could you possibly find someone to take care of him here while you're gone? Have proper paperwork drawn up that he's yours and you will take him back etc?

That would be a last resort, but you guys know the bond they develop with us. And he naturally reverts to his cage because he was confined to one for 5yrs before being surrendered. And I'd need to find someone I trust that knows how to work with stubborn birds like him for 2 years!

 

[military_mom]

You could look into these services:

Welcome To Dogs On Deployment | Dogs On Deployment

Military Foster Program - PACT for Animals

Military Pets - FosterDogs

Thank you, I'll look into them after this last attempt at application. The problem I'm finding is big birds are still treated like mythical creatures and nobody knows anything about them or puts anything in place for them. Which blows me away! I can't believe there isn't more put in place for them out there.

 

[military_mom]

Since CITES is worldwide, even if you get him out, you may experience issues getting him back in or even going to another country from there. You risk him being seized at every leg of your journey without a CITES passport Even ITEMS made from parts of endangered species can be confiscated.

Now, one thing you could do is contact some zoos for advice, as they sometimes need to export or import endangered species.

Which is why i need the approval of the import/export permit. It's like a passport for 3yrs. There's much more that goes along with it getting back into the US, but the biggest pieces are this permit and his first original health cert when we leave the country

 

[military_mom]

I have heard that there is and organization within the military services where people in the USA will care for the pets of military members who are transferred to foreign countries. I can't find anything about it right now, but maybe some of our super-searcher members can find out more.

Unfortunately, the Military Macaw was one of the first macaws "protected" under the totally stupid and absolutely ineffective CITES rules. Which adds even more levels of complications to buying/selling/trading or gifting certain species of macaws.

Perhaps @Mizzely can find some of the references that I seem to have lost.

Which sucks even more because there's no new studies since 2015 and numbers ranged from 3,000-10,000? That's pretty broad... so it just messes up families like ours I guess

 

[Mizzely]

Thank you, I'll look into them after this last attempt at application. The problem I'm finding is big birds are still treated like mythical creatures and nobody knows anything about them or puts anything in place for them. Which blows me away! I can't believe there isn't more put in place for them out there.

It's definitely not just large birds. I would also reach out to any other rescues in your area or your vet office for foster connections.

Which is why i need the approval of the import/export permit. It's like a passport for 3yrs. There's much more that goes along with it getting back into the US, but the biggest pieces are this permit and his first original health cert when we leave the country

Which is why I say try to contact zoos that have to go through this process with endangered species See what options are available!

 

[Birdbabe]

What if you register him as a therapy bird? Just throwing it out there..