Cockie nappers active in Lismore
Monday, November 2, 2009 at 8:58 
Is Gorge the cockatoo back in the wild? Image by Michael JefferiesAn East Lismore man says a cockatoo his family has raised for more than 33 years has been stolen by animal liberationists.
Ron Gaudron says a note was left near the empty cage on Sunday saying the bird had been set free.
He says the cockatoo George has been with him since it was a hatchling.
"He's another son, he grew up with my eldest one," Mr Gaudron said.
"You'd call the kids, all through there ages you'd call out to them, if they didn't answer he'd start calling their names... he's just part of the family," he said.
City Parrots
George the cockatoo won't survive
George, the 34-year-old silver crested cockatoo was kidnapped from his East Lismore home by animal liberationists last weekend.AS MEDIA interest increases, there is still no sign of George, the 34 year-old cockatoo kidnapped from the Gaudron family in Lismore by animal liberationists last weekend as reported in Wednesday’s Northern Star.
The group left a manifesto-style note claiming George would ‘soon be free to live as it chooses’ – an act that has attracted unanimous condemnation on The Northern Star’s website.
Fears for George’s future have intensified as experts confirm there is virtually no chance of successfully ‘rehabilitating’ or returning him to the wild.
Lismore vet Richard Creed said birds kept from birth ‘imprint’ their carers as family in the first few weeks of life.
“This is why wildlife carers have to be super careful. It is an innate behaviour” Dr Creed said.
“Though cockatoos can live to 80 years of age in captivity, their life span in the wild is only 20 years, so this bird would’ve died 14 years ago anyway.
“While I’m not a huge fan of caged birds, this one was probably perfectly happy in that environment.
“After 34 years these people would be devastated, and so would the bird.
“It’s very sad for the family, sad for the bird – and sad for the misguided idiots who took it.”
Dr Michael Pyne, senior vet at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Hospital, warned the would-be-liberators that releasing domestic birds into the wild carried a ‘real risk of spreading diseases into the wild bird population.
George’s ‘dad’, Ron Gaudron, was still struggling with the loss yesterday as he prepared for the Ulysses Club’s Christmas Toy Run this weekend. “I had to tell my mum last night. She was pretty upset,” he said.
“The police told me they had a report of a cockatoo in a car between Lismore and Casino on Wednesday but nothing has come of it.”
City Parrots
George the Cockatoo back home
Ron Gaudron and his old mate George are thrilled to be reunited after misguided animal liberationists snatched the cockatoo last week and threatened to release him into the wild.GEORGE, the sulphur-crested cockatoo snatched from a Lismore family by maverick animal liberationists nine days ago, has been rescued.
The bird-snatchers succumbed to public pressure last Friday evening, allowing friends of theirs to return the 34-year-old pet to the distraught Gaudron family.
The friends ‘finally convinced’ the misguided activists to let them take George back after reading in The Northern Star that there was no chance of survival if the pet was returned to the wild.
The bird-snatchers had taken George leaving a manifesto-style note stating he would be ‘rehabilitated’ and returned to the wild at no cost to the Gaudrons – except for the ‘inevitable cost to (their) karma’.
Experts warned that the 34-year-old pet was already 14 years past his life expectancy in the wild and rehabilitation would be virtually impossible. They also warned of the risk of introducing diseases into the wild bird population.
Ron Gaudron’s daughter, Rebecca, received the phone call on Friday afternoon from the rescuers asking for their address.
They told Ms Gaudron the bird-nappers were ‘nice people’, but ‘realised they had got it wrong this time’.
“They described them as ‘idiots’ who had done it before but ‘didn’t mean to hurt anyone’,” she said.
Mr Gaudron’s wife, Colleen, said George was a little worse for wear, but basically in good shape.
“He’d lost weight and a few feathers, but he wasn’t too bad,” she. “He was pretty unsettled and I imagine he was probably keeping them awake at night.
“We didn’t get much sleep on Friday night. George kept squawking every time we tried to go to bed.
“Ron stayed up late with him and managed to sneak off to bed about 1am.”
Ron Gaudron was holding back tears and struggling for words as he thanked the rescuers for returning his old mate of 34 years.
“When I first saw that letter I thought that’s it, he’s gone, he’s dead. I honestly thought he was dead,” said the president of the local Ulysses motorcycle club (see story above).
“I can’t tell you how good it is to see him again.”
A dishevelled George appeared to feel the same as he showed off for the camera, obviously enjoying all the attention.
“As soon as I walked in and saw the cage I knew he was back,” Mr Gaudron said.
“I took him down on the grass and just talked to him for about an hour. He’s still a bit edgy and keeps hiding his food, but he’s getting there.”
The Gaudrons held an impromptu party as family members arrived to celebrate on Friday night.
“When I rang my eldest bloke in Queensland and told him I could hear the kids in the background cheering,” Mr Gaudron said. “My mum was really happy too.
“I just want to thank everyone for the support. One bloke – I forget his name, but he knows who he is – said I could come and talk to his parrot any time. He understood.
“We’re going to build him a new aviary, one we can lock and one that can’t be moved.”