A friendly sulphur-crested cockatoo just reached a huge
milestone — his 100th birthday. Fred was the bird of honor over the
weekend at his home on a wildlife sanctuary in Tasmania where he
was celebrated with a party.
The species, native to Australia, is known to live a remarkerbly
long time
— but Fred is still going strong well past the 40-year life span
these birds typically live in the wild.
According to ABC, Fred was rescued by staff at the Bonorong
Wildlife Sanctuary outside of Hobart after the death of his owner
two decades earlier. At that point, the already-elderly bird had
spent most of his life in captivity, so it was decided that he’d
live out his days under their care.
Since then, Fred has become something of a sanctuary celebrity —
proofed by the adoring crowds that turned out for his party.
Sanctuary director Greg Irons told Daily Mail Australia that
Fred’s age isn’t know for certain, but that chances are he actually
became a centenarian a few years back.
“We aren't 100 percent sure but we think that he is well past,”
he said. “He was 95-years-old when I started working, which was 10
years ago — we just waited a bit longer to make sure he is past
100.”
But all the attention devoted to Fred on his birthday was for
more than just a celebration. The sanctuary, whose focus is on
rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing back to wildlife, also used
the occasion to remind guests that they should give a second
thought to keeping sulphur-crested cockatoos as pets, as they
require a lifelong commitment.
Fortunately for Fred, even after outliving his owner, he’s still
surrounded by many folks who care.
