Qld: Naughty bird gets mouth to mouth twice

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2001
Qld: Naughty bird gets mouth to mouth twice

By Dale Paget

GOLD COAST, Qld, Aug 21 AAP - Staff at a wildlife park twice performed mouth to mouth
resuscitation to save a bower bird which nearly drowned because of its naughty tricks.

The satin bower bird, nicknamed Ned Kelly because he steals from tourists, became trapped
in a creek at Fleay's Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast under a hat he had just plucked
from a visitor's head.

By the time wildlife officers arrived Ned was limp and lifeless at the bottom of the
creek. An eel was circling the bird, waiting to strike.

"When Ned was picked up they noticed some muscle movement in his legs," said wildlife
keeper Traza-Jade Spurr.

"He looked pretty bad."

Ned was rushed to the first aid room where one keeper blocked the bird's nostrils and
held his beak open as another blew gently into his mouth.

"It was the first time (performing mouth to mouth on a bird) for all of us," Ms Spurr said.

"We just blew very soft puffs of air into his beak.

"After about 10 minutes he blinked."

Ms Spurr decided to take Ned home so she could keep a close watch on his recovery but
on the way the bower bird took a turn for the worse.

She pulled off the road and, using a small plastic tube, applied mouth to mouth on Ned again.

"Cars were driving slowly past wondering what I was doing," she laughed.

Ned made a full recovery from his ordeal early this month and is now back in his aviary
at Fleay's living up to his nickname.

"He likes to steal sunglasses, hats, babies bibs and dummies," said Ms Spurr. Ned uses
the items to decorate his nest.

AAP dp/sc/sp/de

KEYWORD: BIRD

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