World's Fattest Parrots Saved by Laurel Ferguson
The k āk āp ō is colorfully patterned parrot known to be the world's fattest parrot and can be found in New Zealand. The parrots just went through their most successful breeding season, gathering hope for the future of the endangered species. Recently, the k āk āp ō parrots suffered an outbreak of a serious respiratory disease called aspergillosis. As soon as scientists discovered how quickly the disease was spreading, volunteer vets arrived from around the world to help build pens to house the birds, collect food, and examine birds to determine whether they were ill. Thanks to the work of these vets, the administering of drugs to stop the spread was successful and the outbreak was contained. Many birds were nursed back to health, and most of the chicks from the previous breeding season survived and contributed to a rising population count of k āk āp ō parrots. Seeing people like these volunteer vets dedicated to hel...