A cockatoo’s desperate struggle caught the eye of passersby on Manly Corso yesterday – and their refusal to look away saved its life.
Stranded high in a tree with wire cutting into its wing, the bird faced mounting danger as winds picked up and crowds gathered helplessly below. But when firefighters hit a dead end, a handful of quick-thinking locals refused to accept that outcome.
Enter local arborist Angus Smith, who happened to be nearby with his ropes. It was his first ever rescue, and it was a resounding success.
A keen bird watcher who did not want to be named recalled: “I saw some fire trucks at the end of the road, so I stopped to have a look at what was going on.
“Everyone was looking up at this tree, because there was a cockatoo strung up there.”
She could see the bird struggling with its wing and alongside a friend familiar with cockatoos, managed to locate a nearby arborist.
“He rocked up on his motorbike and he was amazing.”
“He was not up there for that long, I reckon maybe 20 minutes but it was a bit of an operation.
“We cleared a little area where the arborist had to get to work.
“There were falling bits of branch and things like that, that people had to watch out for.”
Reflecting on the scene she urged people to be more aware of disposing of litter.
“One piece of string like that caused a fire truck to come out, multiple people to spend hours trying to work out what to do, an arborist coming out, vets and now he is going to be in care for a few months, while his feathers grow back. He is lucky to be alive.
“All it takes is one bit of thoughtfulness for a second, and you can save all that heartache and trouble,” she said.
“I am just super grateful that people were willing to help and take the time for this bird that they are never going to see again.”
“I am just super grateful that people were willing to help and take the time for this bird that they are never going to see again.”
Angus Smith said he happened to be in the area and was ready and willing to offer his services for free.
“I was local and knew I could get down there quickly,” he said.
“I had to set my ropes up in the tree, which is a bit of a process.
“You throw a small, weighted ball up into the tree to set your line initially… and the first shot was a bit of a fizzle.”
Once up in the tree, the severity of the situation became clear.
“I could see the bird was in a lot of distress,” the Fairlight resident said.
“It had fishing line wrapped around one of its wings.
“So, the first thing was just to sort of assess the situation and make sure that I would not be injuring the bird or putting it in more danger by trying to rescue it.”
As the cockatoo became increasingly agitated, Angus said he had to work quickly but carefully.
“As I approached, it got pretty excited and was in a lot of distress.
“I was able to snip the line in a few places and hold the wing suspended.
“It got me good, a little bite to remember him by,” he said.
The bird was safely placed into a bag and lowered to the ground, where it was handed over to locals who drove it to SASH Balgowlah Emergency Vet.
“I had quite a crowd,” Angus said.
“There was a bit of a cheer and some slaps on the back.”
Emergency veterinarian Dr Sarah Storrs said the bird was triaged on arrival and later sedated to safely remove wire still wrapped around its wing.
X-rays confirmed there were no fractures, though a small wound was found where the wire had been constricting the wing.
“The wing was cleaned, and we have just been giving pain relief and supportive care in hospital,” she said.
Since then, it has been doing really well.”
The doctor praised WIRES carers, who are now preparing to take over the bird’s rehabilitation.
“The WIRES team have been absolutely incredible,” she said.
“We actually get a lot of feedback from WIRES volunteers themselves.
“If they are not super happy with how one of the animals that we have discharged is at home, they will bring them back.
“It is a very symbiotic relationship.”
The bird was also found to be underweight and will remain in WIRES’ care until it is strong enough to return to the wild, with hopes of being reunited with its mate.
For now, the bird’s future is looking much brighter, thanks to quick action, teamwork, and a community willing to stop and help a feathered friend.
