Staff at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, in the U.K. town of Brentwood, are monitoring Steve the parrot’s progress as he adjusts to his new life
Credit: Hopefield Animal Sanctuary/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- A parrot who lost almost all of his feathers is gradually recovering at an animal sanctuary
- Steve arrived at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Brentwood, U.K., last week nearly featherless and unable to fly
- Staff are monitoring Steve in one of the sanctuary’s offices, where he has a bespoke play gym, to determine the cause of his feather loss
A parrot who lost almost all of his feathers is gradually getting his chirp back.
Steve arrived at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in the town of Brentwood in the U.K., about 30 miles northeast of London, last week, per the BBC.
His previous veterinarian said he was in good health, staff wrote on the sanctuary’s website, leaving them at the sanctuary unsure why he arrived there with nearly all of his feathers missing and unable to fly.
“With rescue animals we never get to see the full picture but we are still looking into all the options,” general manager, Lianne Angliss, told the BBC.
Credit: Hopefield Animal Sanctuary/Instagram
Staff are unsure whether Steve may have had an illness or pulled his feathers out himself through boredom, the outlet stated.
“We’re continuing to monitor him closely to understand what may have caused his feather loss and to ensure he receives the very best care during his rehabilitation,” a message on the sanctuary’s website read.
Boredom is the most common reason parrots remove their own feathers, according to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, so enrichment is vital.
Credit: Hopefield Animal Sanctuary/Instagram
“The more time they spend chewing on toys and food, the less time they have to chew on their feathers,” Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon, a veterinarian with the college, said, per the website.
Fortunately, Steve’s feathers are already beginning to grow back, and staff are hopeful that he’ll make a full recovery and, with time, will build up more strength and be able to fly again.
Steve will then hopefully be able to join some of his fellow birds in one of the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary’s aviaries.
For the time being, the “cheeky” bird is in quarantine in one of the location’s offices, where Angliss has created his very own play gym, per the BBC.
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“Despite everything he’s been through, Steve has an incredible personality,” the message on the sanctuary’s website read. “He’s a real chatterbox, loves interacting with the team and has already become one of the biggest characters at the sanctuary.”
Hopefield Animal Sanctuary didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.
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