The Box from Thailand

© Barry Kent MacKay

July 15, 1966 was a pivotal day in my life as an animal activist. I had befriended the owners of College Pet Shop in Toronto. In those days, there were virtually no restrictions on what wildlife could be imported and sold, and the store owners knew nothing about animals. Having been fascinated by wildlife since the age of three, the owners had come to rely on me to identify what animals came in and to determine their needs. In return, I asked for the bodies of deceased birds whom I could then preserve to further my self-taught education.[teaserbreak]

On that day in July, they invited me to the back of the store, where I was horrified to see the severe overcrowding of animals not on display. On the floor were two boxes that had just arrived from Thailand, and I was told my help was needed to remove the bird or birds.

Naively, I did so… and was utterly devastated by what I saw.

Instead of one or two birds, each box was full of very tiny birds: sunbirds, flowerpeckers, and white-eyes (all birds who are similar to medium-sized hummingbirds in size).

Sitting on the two wooden perches in each box were a few healthy looking birds. Below them, often fluffed with heads tucked in, were sick birds. They were standing on a layer of freshly dead birds, who themselves were on top of decomposing birds who had died soon after being confined to the box.

These were species whose diets consisted of flower nectar, tiny spiders, other invertebrates, and, for some, very small berries. Without even a modicum of proper care or nourishment, they had started dying from the moment they entered the boxes.

To make matters worse, the pet shop had made no provisions to properly feed them, or even to know what to feed them. The owners were merely disappointed by the high mortality. Their only comment was that there were enough birds left alive to still make a profit.

I grew up a lot that day, and took a huge step in my lifelong commitment to ensure that animals are treated as the living creatures they are—not as disposable commodities.

Keep wildlife in the wild,
Barry