Thiruvalla firefighters remove steel ring from pet parrot's leg

Thiruvalla: Fire and Rescue officials in Thiruvalla have successfully removed a steel ring that had become lodged tightly around the leg of a pet parrot, potentially endangering its life.

The bird, a three-and-a-half-year-old Cockatiel of the Australian breed, is owned by Albin T Rijo, a pastor at the Bethelpadi IPC Church in Kuttappuzha near Thiruvalla. The steel ring, placed on the parrot’s leg when it was just a month old and purchased from a bird shop in Mallappally, could not be removed even as the bird grew. Over time, the ring began tightening around its leg, causing inflammation and distress.

Despite attempts by Albin and his friends to remove the ring, they were unsuccessful. Concerned for the bird’s wellbeing, they sought the help of the Thiruvalla Fire and Rescue Department.

The parrot was placed in a cage and brought to the fire station, where Station Officer Shambhu Namboothiri, along with Senior Fire Officers KK Sreenivasan, S R Saheesh Kumar and Fire Officers S Mukesh, C Sreedas, and K V Vishnu, carried out the delicate task using a miniature steel cutter. The team managed to cut and remove the ring without causing even a scratch to the bird.

Following the rescue, the parrot was immediately taken to a private veterinary hospital in Manjadi for preliminary treatment