I guess because of the situation I find myself in with my mom I’m even more on the lookout for uplifting and inspirational stories these days. The kind where an underdog faces incredible, perhaps even seemingly insurmountable, odds but still emerges victorious.
That’s why the story I saw on the news over the weekend caught my eye. It would have anyway because it had to do with an animal shelter harboring a very special bird. But it grabbed at me even more so because the bird was touted the ugliest bird alive –one who shouldn’t even be alive.
Yet it was not a story about the bird needing a home. No, this bird was not up for adoption. It was already loved fiercely and cared for vigilantly.
The Shelter with the Ugliest Bird
Oscar is a female cockatoo who lives in the Broward County Humane Society shelter in Florida. She came to them from the Wildlife Care Center who was no longer able to care for her after she contracted a viral infection called beak and feather disease. Apparently it’s highly contagious to other birds and they couldn’t risk infecting their other charges.
So here came Oscar. Feather-less with just the poof of white on her head. Basically looking like a walking plucked-chicken. No one expected her to live beyond six more months. (It’s actually a fatal disease for most birds who contract it and usually they don’t live much beyond a few months after getting it.)
The Energizer Bunny Ain’t Got Nothing on Oscar
Yet, in a testament to the power of TLC, Oscar kept on going well past the six month expiration date set for her. Ten years later the feather-less cockatoo is not only alive but thriving. Albeit still feather-lessly
Beauty is Only Feather Deep
Oscar is definitely not the most attractive-looking bird, but what she lacks in eye candy she makes up for in heart and personality. On the news clip I saw they captured Oscar’s love for comedy and her quirky sense of humor. Also, they showed how she loves to talk and does a heck of a Mick Jagger impersonation.
It was hard not to be enchanted by, and dare I say fall a little bit in love with, the feather-less underdog who’s beaten insurmountable odds to be the star of the Broward County Humane Society. She’s definitely flapped into the hearts of all who come to know her and has nested there for life.
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