Booby meets sad end at Turtle Centre
Norman, the red-footed booby bird, sadly died on Christmas Day
(CNS): A red-footed booby bird rescued by wildlife volunteers in the UK when it turned up on a pebble beach along the south coast of England and returned to the Cayman Islands just before Christmas has died. Named ‘Norman’ by his rescuers, the bird was believed to have lost his way during migration and ended up thousands of miles from home. He was found underweight and dehydrated on the cold British coast but he was nursed back to health by UK volunteers at the RSPCA before being flown home via British Airways last month. But the journey proved too much for the relatively young bird, which died at the Cayman Turtle Centre on Christmas Day.
Jane Haakonsson, a researcher with the Department of Environment, told CNS that the bird never took to the Turtle Centre, “most likely due to the stress of the travel”.
She said that although he was given the best chance possible, the booby still faced challenges, despite the efforts of rescuers in Britain. “If ‘Norman’ had, in fact, made it to Little Cayman, there would also have been a risk that he was unable to feed himself due to atrophy of his flight muscles for having been in captivity since September.”
Category: Land Habitat, Science & Nature
See that. Even a boobie knows its time to get outta Cayman
Should not have enter faired with mother nature or the cycle of life. Man should have not intervene and let it be. It is, what it is.
enter faired! LOL!
Fly all the way to England for his woman , they kidnap him and bring him back , poor booby died of a broken heart !
Should have left the damn thing alone.
The story of Norman is very symbolic of our times here in Cayman. There is no return to the traditional place of respite that Cayman used to be. This place has evolved, in a worldly sense, perhaps in some positive aspects, but as we all fear, in reality many more negative. Once vibrant with turtles, coral, fish and blue iguanas, now overrun by invasive species, green iguanas, wild dogs living off the dumps of human waste. Perhaps Norman is an example is nature’s little voice for anyone that can hear it.
The invasive species are not the problem, the greed of local developers is the problem.
Invasive species huh? So true.
Humans are not native to Cayman.
Must have caught an infection from all them sickly, diseased-ridden turtles.
If the “stress of the travel” TO the UK did not kill him before, then I do not understand how coming back on the plane did.
When I was learning to drive, 25 plus yrs ago, I was taught to use traffic indicators, and still do use them. However more than half drivers on road no longer use them. Nowadays it seems all about just just swerving to left and right without indicating which is very dangerous. Also unknown to many it seems, give way means coming to a complete STOP and then proceeding IF clear. Once people remembered these two simple rules in ADDITION to every other road code and leave their anger and impatience at home there would be less accidents. Also to you young, inexperienced drivers AKA “YIPs”, take note only those in a hurry to get to heaven drive extremely fast. FYI if you are seriously injured and alcohol is in your system, it speeds up the death process.
What does this post have to do with the Booby?!?!?!?
The bird had gotten ahold of a fire engine to escape the Turtle “Center”, but unfortunately exceeded 50 mph and it flipped over.
Here is where you are wrong. You could cause an accident by stopping when the way is clear. Instruction on a traffic site :Yield the right of way. Slow down and let vehicles crossing your path go by. IF NECESSARY, stop before going ahead. If pedestrians are in or about to enter the crosswalk, stop until they have crossed the roadway, then proceed.
Poor boobeh
Shoulda let him go in the middle of east end, i wudnt like the turtle center either.
An admirable effort by all involved to try & save him . There are some great people, that will go to all lengths to save our precious animals.
Perhaps “Norman” flew from us because we are cutting down trees for cheap arse palm trees and lightpoles! Perhaps our government is not enacting enough laws to protect our wildlife! Instead its all about money, our cars and buildings … so this little messenger takes flight to the Queen of England, somewhere else other than home because we destroying Caymans habitat, we are making Cayman a hotter place to live! 🙁
Where is the like button when you need it? Two thumps up!
They should have been alot more careful. This is a wild bird that can easily be startled, has weak heart – it is not some tamed parrot. 🙁