Birds of a Feather

Six months of living here and I’m stil not use to waking up to the sounds of all the birds and critters that live right outside my balcony patio. I think as I sip my coffee, while staring at two parakeets fly overheard and a ground squirrel search for its food on the forest floor. Six months ago I was an exotics doctor working for a non-profit organization back in the states, but after they found the company was money laundering it was dispearsed and left me and many others out of a job and under scrutiny of the public. I put up with it for all of three months, before I got sick of the accusations and the not so subtle reasons for why other organizations didn’t want me working for them. I had nothing to do with their money scheme, in fact I didn’t even know what was happening until it was too late, so after losing everything and living with my best friend rent free for three months, I decided to take action. I happened upon a job Ad for an exotics doctor specialist in Columbia, South America. The job mentioned they would pay for my flight if I got hired and the pay was double what I was making there in the states, so after talking with my friend about it I applied and got hired three days after my zoom interview, and so here we are now.

After downing my coffee I go back to my kitchen and grab my bag and helmet, then head out my door,making sure the alarm is set before I lock it. My motorcycle is in my small garage that came with the house upon buying it, and since motorcycling is easier around here it just made sense to me to get one. It only takes me ten minutes to get to the organization I work for, and after showing my badge at the security door I continue my bike down the pathway of other parked motorcycles and cars. My assistant Mika is waiting for me at the employee door when I enter with another cup of coffee in his hands exactly the way I like it and after taking a sip I turn to him saying “What do we got today Mika?” My assistant use to my walk and talk behavior by now keeps pace with me as he responds

“ We got a recheck appointment on the Giant Anteater that came in a few weeks ago with a broken foot, a Brown Owl with a possible sprained wing, and another malnourished Macaw.”

“Another one? That’s the third case this week.” I stop and look at him, then put my hand out and he puts the case file in my hands for me to look at. Blue and yellow Macaw in for dehydration, missing feathers, and a cracked beak.

“Have any of the other doctors been treating Macaws in the last few weeks?” I ask Mika

“I know Dr. Ramirez saw at least two last week, but I’m not sure about other doctors.”

“Okay, find out for me, then let me know. In the mean time I’ll see the Macaw right now, then the Barn owl, and finally the recheck appointment for the Giant Anteater.” I tell him, as we reach the exam rooms where I see the bird already in a cage in the corner with a small towel covering its cage.

“Got it Dr. Raine and I’ll put the rest of your cases in your office for you.” He tells me before walking off in the other direction.

I take a deep breathe before I enter the big exam room “You got this Dr. Raine you’ve proven yourself tenfold since being here and have helped hundreds of animals, today is no different.” With my game face on I open the doors and walk inside and immediately I’m crowded by the techs with the reports of all our in-care patients. The organization I work for runs a wildlife centere in the front where they get most of our income and in the back is our veterinary center run by myself and the other three doctors who also work here. We are a small vet facility, but we are always busy with civilians bringing in injured or killed wildlife and other organizations will sometimes come and bring their injured here too since we have a reputation of saving most of the wildlife that walks through our doors. What can I say, we’re small yes, but we have the best team and the best equipment and that makes us a powerhouse for others to seek.

“Alright everyone, let’s slow it down and take this again, I unfortunately only have two ears so all the talking at once sounds like jumbled noise.” I laugh.

Some of my techs laugh too, then start talking one at a time, and I listen to everything, putting in comments or instructions for them to do with my patients per my order, then finally I walk towards the Macaw with the last tech following behind.

“This little girl was brought in by a good smaritian. Said they found her by the dumpsters walking in circles and dragging its wing.” The tech tells me

I lift the towel and see her in the back of her cage and even without a proper exam I can tell she’s underweight and is dragging her right wing, though whether its broken or sprained is unclear without x-rays.

“Okay, we will have to give her some sedation to give her a proper exam, but-“

“Actually Dr. Raine, we think she use to be somebodies pet, because she allowed us to do a full exam on her. Here is everything we found on her.”

“Someones pet eh? Well this is terrible way to treat your pet. Macaws are endangered as it with poaching and their land being de-forested, and this is how were treating them now.” I sigh, while taking the folder and looking it over. “Alright, well lets get some x-rays, a cbc test ran, and some fluids started on her. I’ll recommend some medication based off our findings on her.” I tell the tech, before walking off to finish seeing the rest of my patients completely confident my team will get started on what I asked.

Later on I’m in my office, after finishing with my patients for the time being looking over the files my assistant left for me for the numerous amount of Macaw intakes we’ve been seeing, and I was right to be concerned. Just in the last two months, we’ve seen close to fifteen cases, which is way more than this facility has ever seen since I’ve been here. All our files have varying degree of issues happening with these birds but they seem to all have one common denominator, which is dehydration and missing feathers, and all of them seemed to be found in or near a dumpster, like someone is purposely dumping them there. I sip my coffee thinking about what could be going on, because this seems more than just a coincidence. Just then there’s a knock on my door before the tech assigned to the Macaw comes in holding the lab results.

“Well that wing isn’t broken, just sprained which is good and we got some infection she’s currently fighting based off her increased white blood cell count, but beyond being severely dehydrated and malnourished she’s doing okay. How are the fluids going?” I look up at my tech

“Good. She’s already starting to perk up from it.”

“That’s fantastic news! Let’s get that wing bandaged up, so she doesn’t injury it further and start her on some broad spectrum antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds. Later once the meds start kicking in, lets get some food in her, I’m not concerned about her cracked beak, but let me know if it seems like she’s bothered by it.” I start.

“We will go ahead and get started with that.” She says grabbing the folder from my desk and noticing the multiple files already on my desk. “Doing some light reading aren’t we?” She raises a brow at the chaos on my desk. I laugh, but say “I wish. No this is all the Macaw cases we’ve seen in the last 2 months.”

“How many are there?”

“Fifteen, in total. What are your thoughts on that?” I ask her since she’s been working and living here longer than I have.

“That’s an insane amount, and it makes me wonder if another illegal pet shop has opened up again.” She tells me

“Another? What this has happened before?” I ask her incredulously

“Unfortunately. Your still new here Dr. Raine, but I’m sure you know how bad poaching is here, especially for the Macaws. Hunters get paid to go and catch them preferably, while their still babies and then bring them back to these pet shops that aren’t licensed or sanitized and raise them in poor conditions to sell them for profit. The last shop that did that was a few years ago, the people got arrested and all the animals were in such terrible conditions many vet facilities ours included had to humanely euthanized some of them, because they were too far gone.” She tells me sitting down down in the other chair in my office.

I feel my heart hurting at the thought of all these captured animas having to be humanely euthanized simply because ignorant and greedy people want to make a quick buck. “Where was this place at?” I look back at her

“ I don’t believe it was very far from here actually. Probably like, five miles from the city in an old abandoned building. Why?” She ask

“No reason. Go ahead and head back to the exam room make sure our newest resident is doing okay, I’ll be down there in a bit to check on her.” I tell her. She looks at me for a moment before she gets up with the folder and heads out the door to do as I ask, and for the next hour I pour over the files I’ve been given with a new set of eyes.

Hours later near the end of my shift I make my way back over to the in-care patients checking them all over and I’m happy to see everyone is doing well under my care. I make my last stop at the Macaw’s cage and see her looking much better, her wing is bandaged up and someone put a Purple Heart on the bandages and gave her some food and fruits as well. It feels my heart to know that she will make a full recovery with some time and tlc. “I’ll find out who did this to you little lady and make sure they are behind bars for this.” I whisper to her, and she stares me almost like she seems to understand my promise to her, but then she goes back to snacking on her fruits. I smile at her, finally make my way back to my office to grab my things then head home after another exhausting, but rewarding day.

Weeks go by with a steady line of patients coming through our doors either unannounced or called ahead ones. All four of us doctors have been busy to our ears, but I make sure to make time between all the surgery’s and whatnot to visit the Macaw bird whose been moved from my department to the rehabilitation center to have them do the rest of her care. I haven’t given up on my promise to find out who hurt her, so every time I go by the center to see her I also make sure to ask all the visitors if they have heard anything about Macaws being captured, but so far nothing. No one knows anything, but still I don’t give up hope.

A month goes by with nothing until one day another Good Samaritan arrives with another injured Macaw. This time after asking the techs to hold them there and making sure they get the Macaw checked in by another doctor I quickly go over to our guest center and see a young boy their waiting. “Are you the one who found the Macaw?” I ask him

The boy startles at my voice not hearing my approach, but quickly recovers “yes, it was laying their by the dumpster. I thought it was dead until it moved and I quickly rushed here since you’ll are the closest facility out here.”

“Can you take me to where you found the bird?” I ask him

“Sure, no problem. Is it okay? The Bird I mean?” He ask standing up

“Honestly I’m not sure yet, but we have an amazing team here, so I have faith he will be okay. You brought him in just in time, so thank you for that.” I smile down at the boy.

“Your welcome. My mom always told me that the birds are our friends and need to be protected if we want them to have long lives like us.”

“Well sounds like you have a very smart mother, because she is one hundred percent right.” I Say while following him out the door, after telling management I‘ll be back in a few.

We walk the mile and half to where the Macaw was found, and I watch as my surroundings go from nice houses to poorer ones with the upkeep not as great as the houses closest to the city itself. When my guide stops in front of a barely lit ally even with the sun shining bright today my senses immediately go up.

“ This is where I found the bird earlier today. Laying on the side of the dumpster not moving.” He points at the dumpster in question and I go ahead of him and investigate it. Trash is piled high in and all around it, I see rats and other critters moving in and out of the garbage. I recoil at the idea of this majestic creature found laying dirty on the ground. I look around and see small houses stacked up on each other, like what they did back in the states, laundry hanging out on clothes lines, and what looks like a gated fence leading into another dark alley.

“What’s your name kid?” I look back at him after getting a feel for everything.

“Miguel, but my mom calls me Mickey.” He states

“Okay, Mickey, how would you feel about making some easy money?” I ask him.

“Hmm, that depends on what your asking?” He crosses his arms looking suddenly nervous. “ Nothing bad I swear. I just need you to tell me when you notice anything suspicious around here. See easy right?” I smile hoping he will help me

“Their’s always something suspicious going on around here. This part of town well people need to work an angle to get by, so how will I know what to look for?” He ask

“I’m looking for whoever is in charge of capturing the Macaws from their natural habitat. If you see more birds like you saw today let me know right away okay? In fact here’s my address if you notice anything. Come to my house and I’ll see you on my camera monitor.” I tell him, handing my address over

He looks at it first, then says “Okay, I’ll come find you if I see anything.”

“Good, now come on lets head back to the clinic.” Pulling him along and feeling satisfied that I now have some ears to the ground about the Macaws.

That night I’m at home watching tv in bed, when my motion alarm goes off on my phone. I quickly grab it and see a slightly nervous Mickey on my camera just barely in view. After pulling some jeans and a hoodie on I go to meet him outside.

“Mickey, it’s late. Did you find anything out? I ask

“Yeah, I heard theirs supposed to be a new shipment of birds coming in and I think I heard some might be like the one I found.”

“Alright, good I’ll look into it in the morning.” I say, then start to head back inside my house.

“No wait! The shipment is supposed to happen tonight that’s why I came, I figured this is what you were asking for.” He replies

“Tonight!” I glance at my phone clock and see its two in the morning. I sigh, but knowing I’ll never get another chance like this I tell him

“Okay, I‘ll check it out. How did you get here, did your mom drop you off?” Heading inside to grab my moped from the garage, since it’s electric motor makes it quieter to ride. “ I ran. My mom is at work at the local hospital working a double shift.”

“Alright hop on. I’ll drop you off in the city, then I’m going by myself to this location.”

“These guys looked dangerous though, maybe you shouldn’t go alone. Maybe call the cops.” He answers while hopping on behind me.

“Don’t worry I plan on calling the authorities once these thevies lead me to their main spot. Wherever this new shipment is going I’d bet anything they have more captured birds and animals there. I want to close them for good.” Turning back around to start the drive back into the city.

After dropping Mickey off, and paying him for his help I take the directions he gave me and speed down there hoping they haven’t left yet. Luck is on my side as I pull up at the meet up spot to see a group of men standing around, while two more guys exchange words and then, what looks like cash before taking boxes off his truck and putting them in the other guy’s truck.

Making sure I’m properly hidden from them behind some crates i manage to catch a few words, but it’s enough to confirm my thoughts.

“Let’s go, we gotta get these birds back to the building. Being this exposed even at this time of the night still makes me nervous.” Guy number one says

“Everything makes you nervous. Relax will you, no one is this far out and not to mention everyone is passed out in there beds back at there homes.” Guy number two replies, then with a shove in his shoulder they both make there way to the truck with the stolen birds.

I follow a good paces behind them with my light off and I’m thankful they don’t have the common sense to pay attention to there surroundings as I trail after them. We drive 15 miles outside of the city taking back roads to avoid having to drive through it. Finally, we stop at a building that resembles striking features to the old abandoned building that closed down years ago according to the tech. I take a picture of it just in case, then get off my moped to get a closer look at the boxes as they load them off the truck.

I turn my phone video camera on and hit record, then slowly show all the boxes they have loaded off so far and the shrieking I can hear even from this distance. “Definitely some captured birds, I hear at the very least.” I whisper into the video. Turning my recorder off for now I follow them as they take the birds into the building, where I can already hear more cries and shrieks and some man yelling at them to shut up followed by something being thrown.

Stepping back into my hiding spot I scan the area that will give me a good view of what’s inside the building. I finally see some containers piled up against the outer wall and at the top is a small crack inside, so I run towards it. Positioning the boxes on top of each other and making sure they can hold my weight I climb on top of them towards the cracked wall frame. When i reach the top I lift myself up slightly to see inside and I’m immediately nauseated. Macaws of all shapes and sizes are lined up in dirty cages, with dirty water, empty food bowls and some with really concerning injuries on them. Immediately I take my phone out and snap picture after picture from my position, then switch to recording everything I see, and making sure I miss nothing. I wipe the tears I didn’t even know had fallen away, then take my phone and dial one number.

It’s been a few weeks since the Police arrested the biggest illegal poaching game since the one that happened a few years ago, and honestly I couldn’t be happier. We couldn’t save them all, but with my team and other organizations working together during this raid, we did save a little more than half, which is a win in my book. It will take some time before they can returned back to the wild unfortunately, but that’s okay because where’s there bad, there’s also some good. The Blue and yellow Macaw that was brought in that started all this for me is ready to leave its facility after getting a clean bill of health from us and passing all the necessary requirements to see if she can be reintroduced back into her habitat.

Myself and the rest of my team are all here to see her off and couldn’t be prouder. I was part of an organization that helped heal and reintroduce this endangered girl back into her world to hopefully repopulate and save her species. When her cage door opens she immediately flies off and lands up on a tree to look down at us and her surroundings, and call me crazy, but it almost seems like she stares at me last, like she knows what I’ve done for her. I smile and whisper into the wind “told you I’d figure out who did this to you.” She flies away shortly after and my crew packs up to leave and I stand there a few moments longer when I hear:

“Come on Dr. Raine, you have more patients to save today.” My tech says putting her hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah, let’s go. My patients are waiting.”