Maryland man makes it his life mission to care for abused, abandoned parrots

POOLESVILLE, Md. (WJLA) — They’re beautiful, majestic and sometimes even good for a laugh – those are just some of the reasons Christopher Zeoli has been hanging out with parrots most of his life.

"You start to relate to them as people," Zeoli said. "You can see they're intelligent and that they're sensitive. And they respond in ways that you can relate to."

He’s operated Garuda Aviary in Poolesville, Maryland, since 2007, where he’s dedicated his life to taking in and helping abandoned and abused parrots.

"The birds that we are really here for our parrots that have had really unfortunate lives," Zeoli said. "Birds who were either the subject of neglect or even abuse."

Zeoli and his team of about a dozen volunteers also get multiple requests every week from people simply wanting to drop off a bird they no longer want. He said many people don’t know parrots regularly live to be 60 years old.

"A lot of the abandoned requests that we get are from people who are between 75 and 85 years old. They've hit an age where they feel like they can't keep up with their parrots anymore, but their parrots will still live maybe a few decades," he explained. "We rehabilitate them not so that they can be adopted back out but so that they have some peace in their life here with us."

In addition to caring for the birds, his objective is to raise awareness about the harm that comes to them in the industry.

"Parrots are locked in darkness for years in small breeding boxes. The breeders think that they're more inclined to lay eggs and there's no science to back this notion up," he explained. "Also it is an extremely common technique that when breeding parrots have an offspring, the breeder will not allow them to raise the bird. Because from the breeder's point of view, it takes too long. If they let the parrot raise the bird, they'll have to wait two years for another young. They would prefer to take the fertilized egg and incubate and then they only have to wait another five or six months for another fertilized egg."

Zeoli said the parrot breeding process isn't just cruel to the animals, it also doesn't allow the offspring to embrace their natural instincts and behaviors.

"The unfortunate thing for the offspring is that without the guidance of the parents, they go into they go into life with just a whole host of dysfunctional behavior, from feather plucking to forms of self-mutilation," he explained. "Breeders will give them a diet that forces their birds into estrus or into producing too much testosterone. This makes the breeding parrots' lives just extremely uncomfortable. They're the most aggressive, the most obsessive, the most anxious."

It’s because he loves these birds that he’s adamant about his goal to educate the public on one simple point.

"If I could wave my magic wand, parrots would not be pets," he said bluntly. "There is no such thing as a cruelty-free bird. You will not get into your home a parrot that is somehow had a lovely time from either being poached or domestic bred."

He knows change won’t come overnight. But until it does, he’ll be in Poolesville, caring for his flock.

Christopher and his team are accepting donations to help care for the parrots. The money goes directly to the birds in the form of food, medical care and more. You can make a donation of any amount easily by clicking here.

You can also read more about each bird, including pictures, their names and their personalities by clicking here.