Dear Friends,

NPRPF has lost our beloved Spokesbird, George. George passed away in his sleep early in the morning of July 3, 2003, of old age. He will be buried on private property in Magnolia, Texas, near our rescue facility. If you would like to make a donation to honor his memory, please mail it to: NPRPF, George Memorial Fund, 5116 Bissonnet #471, Bellaire, TX 77401 . Donated funds will go towards helping rescued, abandoned and neglected birds. George will be remembered at Parrot Festival 2004 when most of his friends can be together.

George was a Scarlet Macaw who spent the first part of his life in the rainforest. He was shot down in the early 60's, as a very mature bird, and transported to the United States. The shooting left him blind in his left eye and permanently crippled in his left wing. A married couple purchased him and gave him a loving home for 28 years, when they were forced to part with him due to their failing health. After spending a couple of years in a neglectful situation, George finally found his last home with me.

Despite the hardships he had suffered, George had quite a zest for life. Since he could not fly, I took him outside on nice days so that he could climb trees. He loved to go to the park, and although he had been known to chase an adult, he was always patient with children, as long as they didn't try to pet him.

In 2000, he was asked to be the Rescue Awareness Spokesbird for The National Parrot Rescue & Preservation Foundation. It was at our annual educational conference, Parrot Festival, that he made friends with Chris Davis. She shared his story with people all over the world when she wrote a beautiful article about him in the August 2000 issue of Bird Talk. Since then, she had kept readers updated on George through her column.

There was something about George that drew people to him. I have known a lot of very special birds, but never one quite like George. When people met him, they never forgot him. He had a way of looking at you that made you realize how deep the spirit lies in these beautiful creatures. His story has been an inspiration to many, helping people to see that hardships can be overcome. But there is no doubt that seeing his picture, or actually meeting him, had a more profound effect. One of his good friends once made the observation "I can see the rainforest in his face". In a way, that said it all.

Brenda Adams