Help Save 275 Parrots and Rebuild Their Home

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My name is Alexis, I am the manager of Parrot Stars in Arlington Heights, IL. We are fundraising to help with the continued care of 275 displaced parrots who were rescued from the Malama Manu bird sanctuary on Pine Island in Florida. This island has been completely demolished by Hurricane Ian. This sanctuary is run by our dear friends—Laura Stepp and Will Peratino—who have been caring for parrots for over 40 years. They resided with their parrots on Pine Island (near Fort Meyers) until last Wednesday when Hurricane Ian ravaged the island and destroyed everything in its path. Their parrot sanctuary—Malama Manu (which means "preserve, protect and nurture birds" in Hawaiian)—is now completely destroyed and must be entirely rebuilt which could take up to a year.

How you can help

All parrots (and a pair of lemurs) have been safely transported off of the island to our breeding program on the mainland of Florida. We spent an entire day searching for any and all available parrot enclosures, but we still need to build more because the birds will likely be displaced for at least a year. All donations will go to building temporary enclosures, restoring the sanctuary and food to keep the birds alive and well. Please help support Will, Laura and their hundreds of incredible animals! They worked day and night to save hundreds of lives. They refused to leave their birds behind like many others did when they evacuated the island. Your donation will help to rebuild the incredible Malama Manu sanctuary and will help to preserve, protect and nurture these wonderful birds.

The details of the hurricane

All parrots lived in beautiful outdoor enclosures shaded by a pull barn. As the storm's path rapidly changed, Will and Laura realized they needed to catch every parrot, crate them, and bring them indoors. They spent hours ensuring every bird was caught before the deadly high-speed winds arrived. All birds were brought inside a stilt house, 12 feet above the ground while Will and Laura stayed in their ranch-style home to wait out the storm. They didn't know that the storm surge would begin to flood their home and property with 6 feet of rushing water in mere minutes. In sheer panic, they grabbed the helpless baby parrot they were hand feeding, its brooder, and the remaining disabled pet birds they had in their home. By this time, the water was filling their house and was chest-high. They waded through rushing water in their home, holding the birds above their heads and hurried to join the other parrots in the stilt house. Thankfully, the stilt house remained intact as the hurricane flooded their home and demolished everything they owned, including their cars and every single bird cage on the property. If they hadn't spent hours pulling the birds indoors, every single one would have drowned. As the water continued to rise, they questioned whether the stilt house would also flood, leaving all of the parrots with nowhere else to go.

Will and Laura waited with the animals until the water receded and they could assess the damage. The storm destroyed everything. The parrot cages were bent and broken, the food supply was ruined, and they did not have running water or electricity. Their first priority was the animals. They searched for any fresh water they could find. They gave the birds any remaining food they had. They feverishly worked to repair the cages, desperately hoping they could get more food.

The Rescue (Operation Noah's Arc):

Without access to potable, running water, the birds would die if they stayed on the island. They were forced to return the parrots to their broken cages as the carry crates were too small. Florida Fish and Wildlife delivered donated food by boat (there is no way to reach the island by land) but it became clear that more boats would be needed to get the birds off of the island. Our Parrot Stars staff, friends and volunteers worked for days to help find boat owners willing to make the trip from the mainland to rescue the birds. Tuesday, October 4th, Operation Noah's Arc started at 8:00am. With the AMAZING support of Project Dynamo and many volunteers, we found four boats willing to evacuate all 275 birds. We got to the island, and I witnessed the destruction of Hurricane Ian firsthand. Homes were utterly flattened, boats were in trees, and nearly all humans were in the process of evacuating the island. We were all brought to tears when we reached what was once Will and Laura's home. We worked urgently to catch all of the birds (and a pair of lemurs), crate them and get them to the boats. Only two working cars owned by neighbors could help us bring the birds the four-mile trip from the sanctuary to the boats. We loaded the boats with hundreds of carriers and returned to the mainland. With the help of Project Dynamo and 18 incredible volunteers, we saved the lives of 275 parrots.