We’ve gotten used to seeing little birds being kept in cages and chained to baskets hanging from the ceiling outside of small, traditional stores in Malaysia, but have you ever seen bird owners gathering to allow their pet birds to fly freely?
Well, this apparently happens once every year!
As showcased by BERNAMA, the Terengganu Free Fly Gathering 2023 saw parrot owners from all over Malaysia meeting at Kampung Tok Dir to stretch their wings and fly freely around a vacant area.
BERNAMA shared, “The participants who take part in this annual program are parrot owners from various states. The Terengganu Free Fly Gathering 2023 was held to give freedom to pet birds to fly freely in open areas. Children were also excited when they saw and held parrots of various kinds at the program.”
Among the parrots seen are gorgeous Scarlet macaws, Blue-and-yellow macaws, Harlequin macaws and more!
Though, while these birds are stunning to look out, they’re still wild animals that shouldn’t actually be kept as pets.
According to In Defense of Animals, the unfortunate truth is that keeping parrots, including macaws, as pets is considered cruel and potentially dangerous.
“Parrots are considered to be animals who are inherently wild. Even if captive bred, they possess the same wild traits as their wild born cousins who live in the jungles and rainforests,”
“The parrots’ wild traits don’t usually mesh well in people’s homes or even in outside aviaries,” they wrote.
Hence, while it is beautiful to see these birds having the time of their lives by flying freely during this one day a year, we can’t help but feel like that’s what they should be doing everyday in their natural habitat.
What do you think about parrot ownership in Malaysia? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
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