OUR PATRONS Hello there. I’m Derren Brown Off Of The Telly. As an important celebrity, I’m more than happy to do a bit of charity work every now and then as long as it doesn’t involve meeting too many weird or embarrassing people. Hence my involvement with The Parrot Zoo Trust and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, where I’ve only met one peculiar person: Steve Nichols, he’s the one that runs the place. Peculiar, perhaps, because he has devoted his life to ensuring the welfare and rehabilitation of some of our most engaging and beautiful creatures, and when I talk to Steve about how the sanctuary started, I’m hugely impressed and touched by his motives. He started as a guy with a few tame parrots, who would take a few parrots round to children’s hospices letting the kids play with them. Soon though, the outside risk of introducing infection to such places meant that Steve wasn’t allowed to continue, to the disappointment of his little fans. So he built an aviary at home so that the kids could come and visit. From these beginnings the project grew, and now Steve runs the largest parrot rescue centre in the country, and uniquely is dedicated to researching and protecting the species through this charity. If, like me, you have owned parrots, you’ll know that they are stunning creatures. It’s like having a toddler around the house - only one who can fly. I’ve had breakfast at the Sanctuary and had one of their wards, a Panama Amazon called Hercules, came and stood on the table awaiting to be given something from my plate, each time he’s given something, he says ‘Thank you’. The first few times, you can’t believe your ears, by the time you’ve given him half of what you have just to keep hearing his polite response, you realise that he has you trained far better than someone trained him.
Now Steve and his wonderful team of keepers have expanded even further into the world of animal welfare. From those early days of running around his ‘Back garden’ the small plot of land they aptly titled ‘The National Parrot Sanctuary’, the caring staff now meet the needs of the many 100’s of parrots that are dotted around 20 acres of wonderfully planted woodland and gardens, only now they have company! Nestled within the park is a huge array of exotic animals from Tapirs to Lemurs and even Emus but what’s even more amazing is it now includes the UK’s largest collection of the spectacular Bengal Tigers. ‘Yes’ the iconic tiger, the wonderful place now titled, Lincolnshire Wildlife Park assisted local councils and made provisions to house privately owned big cats from in and around the country. I am so proud to be a part of this amazing worthy organization, of course I fully understand we live in a world where far more disastrous things happen than a cockatoo plucking a hole in its chest or an African Grey shouting obscenities at old people. Many terrible things are worthy of our attention, and occasionally even a little of our time or money. I confess my own charitable instincts are probably not what they could be, but The Parrot Zoo Trust and the sanctuary are all about preserving enjoyment , and I think that enjoyment is a very important thing. The enjoyment that a patient owner can derive from a parrot at home. The enjoyment that a parrot can find again after being neglected, and the sheer delight of visiting a countryside haven where, for the small price of an admission fee and a bag of bird food, you can spend all afternoon in the loud and curious company of parrots. Some will tell you what they think of you. Others will mimic your ring-tone. Some you’ll fall in love with. A few, inexplicably, will just whistle The Simpsons theme tune as you walk past. Steve and his team of dedicated staff have a passion in life, and that is, to meet the needs of captive wild animals. I for one support this whole heartedly and wish them a very prosperous future.
Derren . Visit Derren at: www.derrenbrown.co.uk
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