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On June 29, an article on the Gulliver rescue appeared on birdchannel.com (which is Bird Talk's on line magazine. Read it here ...

I want to thank everyone who has contributed their time, effort and/or funds to save this amazing bird.

I would like to especially thank the following:

I also want to thank the people who put me in touch with their resources at USDA and USFWL/CITES...none of this would be happening without all of you working together to help in this interntional effort!!

The Amazing Tale of Gulliver Macaw

Sybil Erden

Last updated July 2, 2008       jump to latest entry ...

Gulliver on Fanning Island

May 25, 2008

The e-mail arrived April 6th 2008 with the heading "Bird Inquiry." Usually the post attached will be regarding a bird in need of placement. But this one began:

Aloha, Thought this might be of interest - Here is story of the shipwreck on Fanning Island and why there has been a McCaw (sic) abandoned there...

That was my introduction to Gulliver, and to the people I have yet to meet - Laureli, Peter, Jack, Robby and others, including my old friend Rich who I brought into the drama, people around the globe who are Team Gulliver. Over the next days the story began to unfold...

An abandoned American-born parrot named Gulliver was waiting on an island in the South Pacific. Following the shipwreck of the American boat, the Darla Jean in early December of 2007, a young Blue and Gold Macaw named Gulliver, was left stranded and abandoned by his American owners who left the remote Fanning Island, a small coral atoll straddling the equator in the South Pacific Ocean. Gulliver was under the threat of death, as The Republic of Kiribati (Kee-ree-baas) does not allow the importation of any animals. Although a puppy had also been abandoned, the dog Snickers had been rescued with the help and intervention of the Hawaiian Humane Society. He was being moved from Fanning to his ultimate new home with Jack in Las Vegas.

But Gulliver was not as lucky nor was his situation as easy. As a CITES Appendix II "threatened" bird, abandoned without papers, even the Hawaiian Humane Society could not obtain his freedom and return to the US.

Fanning Island is a speck in the ocean, 1000 miles southwest of Hawaii, which has neither electricity nor any running water. Gulliver had been left with and was being cared for by a local family who only had breadfruit and rice to feed him. Housed in a makeshift cage constructed from a scrap of chain-link fencing, Gulliver remained talkative and upbeat. In a society which does not have a word for or concept of "pets", Gulliver captivated, amazed and amused his island caregivers.

Shortly after The Oasis was contacted, I committed our resources: up to and including the sale of my precious motorcycle, to the safe return of Gulliver. At the end of April he was moved from Fanning to Christmas Island, where there are more resources including an airport. I have seen a photo of this International Airport: it is a large tin building surrounded by palm-trees. Quaint and exotic.

Unfortunately no one had notified officials on Christmas Island that Gulliver, already illegal, was arriving and he was confiscated by local authorities as soon as the boat he was on unloaded. For several days we were not sure whether Gulliver was dead or alive. Finally we learned that Nautonga, the country's only trained Vet-tech and his wife Mamarau, the local Agricultural official, had the bird in their possession.

The island has no normal telephone service. After trying for several days, I finally reached Nautonga on their (now stolen) radio-phone. The couple agreed to hold Gulliver for 30 days on the promise that we would be working to come and get him, and that when we came we would bring some needed Veterinary supplies for, he told me, the castration of pigs.

Peter went to Christmas Island in early May. With his help, the Kiribati government official on Christmas Island: Mamarau, formally signed ownership of Gulliver over to The Oasis Sanctuary. Our documentation said that when we paid a $500 fee to Kiribati we could come and take the bird home. The sooner the better they let it be known.

This relinquishment enabled The Oasis to move forward with attempting to obtain permission for Gulliver to return to the US.

I called everyone I had ever met or spoken to in media, animal rights, and avian welfare; and thankfully was given many names and telephone numbers to contact. I began moving through the quagmire called the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and CITES, the international convention which decides which flora and fauna are endangered or threatened.

Even with direct contacts, legal problems remained with bringing Gulliver back into to the US. Since Gulliver's previous caregivers had left US waters without the necessary federal paperwork to bring him "back in", there were major difficulties. Having left the US without proper proof of American captive birth, Gulliver fell under both the federal Wild Bird Conservation Act jurisdiction, and international CITES jurisdiction. It was as though he were a "wild-caught" exotic animal. The secondary problem which arose was the fact that while the US is a signatory to the CITES Convention, the Republic of Kiribati was not and therefore could not provide the appropriate CITES exportation permits. After going around this obstacle for awhile, I was told that an "Export Permit In Lieu of CITES" could be provided by Kiribati and would be reviewed by USFWS.

My friend Mel, an attorney in California, obtained pro-bono Private Investigative work for Team Gulliver. Thorough the hard work of PI Elizabeth, we were able to find that the ship's owners were American and the boat was registered in the US. We received legally sworn Declarations anecdotally showing that Gulliver had been seen in the US and had been purchased in California a year earlier.

I called every breeder, pet-store and Veterinarian near where Gulliver had ostensibly been obtained, but no one had records that they sold or treated this particular bird.

Although the evidence we collected could ultimately prove "by a preponderance of evidence" that Gulliver was in fact an American bred bird in a Civil Court anywhere in the US, the USFWS was not so easily convinced. Even after receiving a statement from Kiribati that there are no parrots anywhere on their islands, and that the closest Macaw was probably in South America 2500 miles away, they continued to treat Gulliver like a wild-caught parrot!

The Oasis put word out through our "OasisNews" and on our website regarding this rescue and the difficulties bringing Gulliver home. Within a week about $3000 was raised for the rescue. But since we need to bring a Veterinarian along, at the air-fare cost of $1500+ per person, the two of us immediately would use up these funds. We put a small painting of a Blue and Gold up on our website for Auction. Slowly money continued to come in...

In the meantime, Nautonga went to nearby Samoa to fight a rat infestation. Mamarau and I continued long-distance e-mail contact. It should be mentioned here that there is one so-called "internet cafe" on Christmas Island and that it is 25 miles from where Mamarau lives and works. Additionally, given that the average annual income in Kiribati is $2000 a year, the $3 an hour charge for internet use was somewhat prohibitive.

We were running out of time. Mamarau kept telling me to "hurry! Gulliver waits!" and that she, who was becoming enamored with the blue bird, was worried that "Gulliver will die here."

Every time Mamarau and I corresponded, she would tell me of more relatively simple and inexpensive items unavailable or too costly that her family needed. Team Gulliver began purchasing things such as more bird food for Gulliver, ringworm cream for a daughter, sandals for another daughter's graduation, a dress for Mamarau and pants and shirt for Nautonga to wear to church, an MP3 player with church music, soap and school items. Plus some cash for his care.

Every day seemed to bring new challenges. The Oasis continued working with the appropriate agencies, USDA in California and Maryland, US Fish and Wildlife in Virginia as well as the CITES authorities, to obtain permission to bring Gulliver back into the US. But with every step forward came another half-step back or to the side. The dance was slow and yet dizzying!

On Wednesday May 14th I downloaded the forms to send to USDA and USFWS. The few pages of forms were accompanied by over 200 pages of instructions written in small type legalese.

I remembered why I did not become an attorney.

I called one of The Oasis' lawyers, Tim, for help. He told me that while he knew nothing about CITES he was well-versed in legalese and would be able to help me. After I dropped off a box of forms and instructions on Thursday, Tim spent 6 (pro bono) hours going through the paperwork. The next morning at 7:30 AM, he and I met at his office and went through the papers which he had annotated, highlighted and tabbed.

But nowhere in the 200 pages of instructions did anything discuss what language had to be on the "Export Permit in Lieu of CITES" document.

The Oasis macaw aviary

I was frustrated.
Saturday I procrastinated.

Sunday the 18th I spent 11 hours pulling together all the documentation and filling out forms. I decided that the export permit had to have the same information as the import paperwork, only additionally describing how Gulliver had arrived and why the bird was not a native of Kiribati.

Monday morning I ran into Benson and overnighted the paperwork and appropriate, non-refundable filing fees to the proper authorities.

Tuesday USDA got the forms. When I hadn't heard from USFWS by Thursday I called them again and the papers were located. I was told that they needed to wait for the export permit to arrive before they could move forward. and at that time the Export permit would have to go to Geneva Switzerland to the Secretariat of CITES for review and approval.

My heart sank.

Gulliver was running out of time I wailed!!**

Christmas Island has ZERO fax machines. So on Sunday as I filled and filed paperwork, I had copied Peter in Hawaii with the verbiage for the Export permit. Peter copied a new-found friend on Christmas Island (met during his trip weeks earlier) who runs the one-and-only Dive Shop. Dive-guy printed off the document, which he brought to Mamarau for her signature (in blue in as specified by USFWL.) The signed paperwork was put on that Wednesday's Air Pacific plane (the only plane to Christmas Island which only comes once a week.) and returned to Peter who overnighted it back to me.

At 4 PM on Thursday, several hours after speaking to USFWS, the overnighted letter from Mamarau via Peter arrived. I immediately faxed it to USFWS. When I called USFWS Friday morning I was told yes, they had it and were faxing it to Switzerland. I asked when they might know, and was told that I could call back Wednesday or Thursday.

You know I'll call Wednesday.

Today is Sunday afternoon May 25th. Since sending out the paperwork Monday I have felt more anxious and nervous than before. All I can do now is wait; and I know that I am not good at waiting.

I can only hold on, visualizing Gulliver's safe and healthy return to the US and know that with the help of sympathetic US officials, Gulliver slowly moves closer to home.

I keep wondering what the big-picture is; why Gulliver and why Kiribati? Why The Oasis? And, I wonder, what will grow from these newly formed relationships across the ocean? Thanks to a 4 year old two-pound bundle of blue and yellow feathers, new friendships around the globe have been formed, lives changed, challenges are being met. In a society whose language only has a word for "wild animal" and "food animal" the concept of intelligent animal as companion has come into being: at least for a few. Mamarau has fallen in love with Gulliver and I have told her she is his "Godmother." Her daughter has said that she wishes to become a "doctor for Gulliver when he gets old." In some small way a stranded parrot has changed their lives.

Right now we wait. Everyone's goal is to bring Gulliver back to Sanctuary in the United States as soon as possible, before his time, truly, runs out. Mamarau's Director in the capital is not happy with all the delays in getting Gulliver out of their country. But Mamarau has learned that special bond that we can have with these incredible, ancient beings and as she told me in her last letter "I will be blamed in the future for Gulliver so that Gulliver can survive."

We will owe these lovely people a great deal.

So, hold on, Gulliver. We are coming soon.

May 31st - Saturday

This week has gone by quickly, yet drags on me as though I were carrying weights.

I was confident that the permit paperwork would move through CITES. We had gone through all the regulations and, I thought, there would be no logical way that we could be turned down.

I began calling my contact at USFWS a few minutes after ten in the morning (his time) on Wednesday. I got his voice mail and left a message. I called several more times during the day, and when I again got his machine, left no messages until late in the afternoon.

By Thursday morning I went into the office at 6 AM and decided to call USFWS earlier... and got my contact on first try. He immediately apologized for not getting back to me.

"I figured you hadn't heard from CITES" was my response.

But he had ... and the news was not good. There were internal, apparently not-obvious-unless-in-the-know CITES regulations (Res. Conv. 9.3) regarding paperwork needing to be on file even from non-signatory countries. Of course, Kiribati had no such papers on file ... and the chances of getting these papers ... at least in any sort of timely fashion ... seemed remote at best.

When I asked him to contact CITES again to explain the conundrum we were in, he sighed, sounding overwhelmed and quickly gave me the name and phone number of the gentleman, a Mr. B., at CITES who had in his possession (and had turned down) our "Export Permit in Lieu of CITES." I was told to contact him myself. The call ended.

I went to the CITES site and looked up Res. Conf. 9.3 ... and thought I might have found a way around this in section b.

It was 7 AM here in Arizona and 4 PM in Geneva. I began attempting to call the offices of the CITES Secretariat. But the phone number was not going through. I checked the number on the CITES website. The number appeared to be correct.

I called my long distance carrier. I called my local carrier. I finally received a call, from my local Repair Guy, at a bit after 8 AM. I was dialing one too many numbers, he explained and told me which number to leave out. This time it went through but was too late for anyone to be in the offices.

I went back on-line and began looking up people at CITES to call. Their website is very accommodating, and has listings of all the people on Secretariat's staff.

I decided to go directly to the top! I would write a letter to the Secretary General of CITES. I spent time working and reworking the letter, and then had Tim, The Oasis' attorney, review it. He took time at the end of his long day to make corrections and improvements. Here is the letter I sent (note: names left out):

May 29th 2008

The Office of CITES Secretary General
Dear Mr. W----;

The Oasis Sanctuary urgently needs your help as it attempts to rescue a stranded American-born Macaw from a remote South Pacific island. The Oasis Sanctuary is a US based 501 (c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization established primarily for the life-care of Exotic Birds. Established in 1997, The Oasis is the largest accredited facility of its kind in the US. Please visit The Oasis website at www.the-oasis.org for more information about who we are and what we do.

As of May 29th, US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFEWS) advised that CITES had rejected the attached "Export Permit in Lieu of CITES." Resolution Conf 9.5 (b) (rev. CoP14) says "documentation of competent authorities and scientific institutions ... are included in the most recent updated list of the Secretariat or after consultation with the Secretariat. I write you to inquire if an exception can be made, pursuant to the "consultation with the Secretariat" provision to the "Export Permit In Lieu of CITES" (attached is copy) which is currently held at the Convention Support Unit by Mr. B----.

Gulliver the Macaw- Background and Information as of May 29th 2008

The following background is provided to explain the unique circumstances justifying your intervention and assistance. An abandoned American-born parrot named Gulliver is waiting on Christmas Island, Republic of Kiribati ("Kee-ree-Baas"), near both Fiji and Samoa in the South Pacific.

Following the shipwreck of the American boat, the XXXXXX, in early December of 2007, a young Blue and Gold Macaw (Ara Ararauna) was left stranded and abandoned by his former American owners, XXXXXXX, who left the remote Fanning Island, a small coral atoll straddling the equator. Since his abandonment Gulliver has been under threat of death as the Republic of Kiribati, a non-signatory to the CITES Convention, does not allow for the importation of any animals.

Gulliver is a CITES Appendix II "threatened" bird, abandoned without proper US paperwork from USFWS before having left the US with the (former owners). Gulliver reportedly has no micro-chip and the numbered band (put on shortly after birth) was lost when it was removed on Fanning Island for medical reasons - swelling of his leg.

USFWS evidently requires CITES approval for Gulliver to enter the US. But, the Republic of Kiribati cannot provide such paperwork as it is not a signor to CITES. See CITES Resolution Conference 9.5.

In April 2008 Gulliver was moved from Fanning to Christmas Island, where there are more resources. A local Agricultural official is currently caring for Gulliver. It is difficult to communicate with the inhabitants of Christmas Island as it only has intermittent radio-phone service - no telephones or faxes - and limited e-mail access.

In early May, the Kiribati Agricultural official on Christmas Island formally signed ownership of Gulliver over to The Oasis Sanctuary. This gave Gulliver a 30 day reprieve from his death sentence. This relinquishment enabled The Oasis Sanctuary to proceed with paperwork to return Gulliver to the US.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which will put Gulliver in mandated Quarantine for 30 days, is ready to allow Gulliver into the States once the USFWS issues necessary permits, which we understand are currently entirely dependant on the CITES Secretariat decision.

Our WISH and GOAL

A one-time-only CITES Waiver allowing USFWS and USDA to permit Gulliver to enter the US and enter Quarantine. We make this request this as Gulliver's situation arises from a once-in-a-lifetime shipwreck. TIME IS RUNNING OUT for this truly endangered animal!

The Oasis Sanctuary wishes to have Gulliver live in our newly opened 4000 square foot (40ft X100ft X17ft tall -or- 12.2 meters X 30.5 meters X 5.2 meters tall) naturalistic "free flight" aviary for Macaws. There he would live as best he could in captivity .... as a bird.

Needless to say, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE and I remain available to answer any questions or provide further information to expedite your decision to approve Gulliver's return to the US. Thank you in advance for any and all help you can provide in this matter.

Sincerely;

(I signed it and gave them my private number with instructions to "call anytime")

After the letter was sent, I decided to follow up the e-mailed letter with phone calls. I was up most of the night, waking up hourly to insure I was able to begin calling there by no later than 4 AM my time. I called the Secretary General. No Answer. I called the gentleman I had called the day before as well, with no answer. I called every 20 minutes.

At 4:45 AM I went over to the office in my pajamas. (This is easily accomplished as I live right across the drive-way.)

I kept calling. Finally the Secretary General's Personal Assistant, Marie, answered and explained in beautiful French-accented English that both gentlemen I sought were out of town until Monday. She took a detailed message, promising to have the Secretary General get back to me Monday. Then, she asked, was there anyone else who could possible help?

I looked at the CITES staff list and asked for the head of their Legal Unit, an American lady named Marceil. As we spoke, I copied her with the above letter. She was sympathetic. CITES had, she let me know, dealt with this exact portion of their regulations and had "interpreted them in the broadest view" recently for some European countries.

She and I spoke for perhaps 20 minutes. She promised to lay some groundwork for the Secretary General and for Mr. B. She, unfortunately, would be out of the office Monday and Tuesday, but if they hadn't gotten to it, she promised to have things finalized by Wednesday.

The end of the day Wednesday will be early morning here. So once again I plan to get up early and speak with her....if I have not heard back before then.

As an aside, Marceil was curious as to why my contacts at USFW (who she knew) didn't call her. She told me that when dealing with the Europeans, their officials called. I explained that it had been handed over to me ... I told her that I guessed they were just too busy.

She laughed.
I was also told to get back to them and let them know they would be hearing from her (or one of the CITES staff.)

I called back my contact who sounded increasingly frustrated by my perseverance. He seemed to almost gloat when he told me that I "wasn't out of the woods yet." And that "he doubted" they would walk this through.

Again I remembered why I stayed out of the corporate world.

And why I prefer animals to most people.

This weekend is difficult. I feel like I am rattling around. My gut aches and I worry incessantly about Gulliver.

So all I can do is slow down, close my eyes, think good thoughts and visualize Gulliver here, safe and at home.

And to Gulliver...Hang in there buddy...we are coming soon!

June 7, 2008 - Saturday

We are one signature away from bringing Gulliver home!

Another week full of roller-coaster emotions has transpired. There have been days where I have been up at 2:30 or 3 and spoken to Switzerland and then was e-mailing Kiribati late into the evenings. There have been 15 hour days followed by 15 hours of sleep several times this week. Needless to say this schedule is unstable and unsustainable, to be sure.

The long story short: we made it through the federal quagmire. Our federal paperwork is on its way but we still need one signature on one paper from Kiribati to get Gulliver back into the U.S.

An official on Tarawa, the capital island of Kiribati about 2000 miles from Christmas Island!!! -- must sign a one page letter authorizing their Agricultural Division to act as the Office of Management Authority (OMA) and their Scientific Bureau (SB). As they are so small and spread out, I have been told (during one of my several conversations with Marceil in Switzerland and Tim at FWS, that whoever is above their Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development can make the Agricultural Sub-Division the OMA and SB.

I will be calling the American Consulate tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, which is their Monday morning in Fiji, and speak with Joseph, the US Environmental representative to see who he knows who can help with this and what fees might be required.

That letter most then be faxed and mailed to Switzerland. Once received they will contact Tim in Washington DC, who will let the USFWS legal department ("police") tell their port officials (Inspectors) that I am good to enter with Gulliver. Once the letter is received in Switzerland we are talking about anywhere from several hours to a few days for this to be accomplished.

Since only one plane a week leaves Christmas Island for Hawaii, I may be there a few weeks. (sigh)

I spoke with Dr. Cherilynn the Vet at LAX, and her boss, Dr. Nancy USDA/APHIS, and once I have the itinerary, our paperwork will be approved and overnighted to me. Gulliver already has an "isolette" reserved and Cherilynn will make sure that he gets fresh produce as well as the other foods we will provide. We are good to go there as well.

This week has also been full of surprises. Put this one up in my "Learn to be less judgmental" file.

I heard from Darla, Gulliver's former, shipwrecked, caregiver. Earlier this week it seemed that we would have to go to court to allow Gulliver into the country before his time ran out (this is a possibility which is still on a back-burner)

To this end, I contacted Kim, Darla's sister, again. Kim was one of the relatives who had sent a Legal Declaration early on, in an attempt to prove Gulliver's American origin. His American "Citizenship" if you will.

I called her and told her that we were running headlong into blockades and that we might have to go to court before Gulliver's time ran out. We absolutely, I explained, would need Darla's Legal Declaration, if we had to go to court.

Kim told me that Darla and Jerry were repairing their (newest) boat and were planning to permanently leave the US as soon as it was repaired. She also told me that Darla did not have a phone or a permanent address and the only time she heard from Darla was if she borrowed a phone and called. It had been ten days since Kim had last heard from her sister. She said she would pray that Darla called soon!

That afternoon at 5:08 PM, my private line rang with an unknown caller showing on the ID. Not in a mood to speak with folks I had not been answering the phone but for some reason did this time.

It was Darla.

Once we began to talk, my preconceptions about her went out the window. Here was a woman who obviously loved Gulliver. I had previously suspected that he had been well cared for because of how well socialized Gulliver has been reported to be by everyone who has met him. This doesn't occur with neglect or abuse.

Darla sat crying to me on the phone. She was someone who had made some mistakes and even more bad choices, but this did not make her evil or bad.

Merely human.

Darla and her husband were leaving the US the next day. None-the-less she wanted to make sure that I had the paperwork needed by the court.

I contacted the Oasis attorney Tim and he wrote up and sent me the needed letter/declaration which Darla would need to have notarized.

I called Elizabeth, our PI in San Francisco, who had during the time involved in this rescue, became a friend. Now, on her own time, as a Team Gulliver member, she readily agreed to help. The next day she drove over an hour to where Darla was temporarily staying in the East Bay and took Darla to the notary public, got the paperwork faxed to me and followed up by overnighting the originals to the Sanctuary.

Darla's side of the story:

In the past 12 months, Darla lost her mother, father and soon thereafter, one of her brothers. It had been a hard year. She and her husband had their life's savings invested, she told me, in their boat. They decided to take a trip with their animals.

When their ship ran into problems, what saved them was their sea-water-to-drinking- water conversion unit which continued to work. That and a home-made spear (a knife on a broom handle) which allowed them to spear tuna and fend off sharks were all they had to obtain food..

There were days when they thought it would be their last, she tearfully recalled.

When they crashed their boat into the coral atoll surrounding Fanning Island, everything they owned went to the bottom of the sea. She swam with Snickers (named she said after her "most favorite-ist" candy bar) while her husband, with Gulliver literally hanging onto the skin of his back, swam to shore. Gulliver's claws left scars on his back after the scratches had become infected.

Darla said that when she made it to shore she was in shock, which lasted for quite a while ... and in my opinion, still has lingering effects.

The local inhabitants on Fanning took them in. Her husband was arrested briefly for not having passports but was released when the ship wreck was confirmed. When they were ready to leave on a "tramp steamer" (which she said was infested with cockroaches and rats) the locals told her that Gulliver and Snickers were fine to stay until they could come back for them and that they would be well cared for.

Penniless, they left for Hawaii and soon made it home to California.

It was not until they returned to the mainland that they found out that they probably could not get their animals home. Out of contact with the island, they only knew what they read in papers and on line; all of which made them out to be heartless animal abusers.

Darla, now about my age (mid-late 50's) admitted to me that all of her life she had been "pampered" and was not used to being destitute. I did not ask how, upon their return, they were able to get another boat but perhaps they had had insurance. None of my business. She told me, they have no car, no phone, and just enough food and other supplies for 6 weeks.

They are permanently leaving the US for ports unknown.

Darla was thankful and grateful that The Oasis, and all the donors and Team members, who have been making this possible, have been there to rescue her beloved bird. But, she also told me, taking him back would not be possible. They had no idea where they were going. She recognized that it would be unsafe for him.

Darla also was pleased to hear that Snickers was in a good home with Jack in Las Vegas. It was wistful, but she was glad that he was safe and loved.

I told her about The Oasis Sanctuary. I told her about the new Macaw flight and how Gulliver would have friends. I told her that they could visit Gulliver here any time. She would always be welcome.

She told me about games she played with him, and songs she sang. I will do this for her and for Gulliver.

The last thing Darla asked me to do is to tell people that she is not as bad as the media has made her out to be. I promised I would.

So now I am hopeful. Now we wait. Again.

I will finish packing and sorting this week. I plan to leave the Sanctuary next Monday and arrive in Hawaii on the 17th, and Christmas Island on the 18th. The only delay may be if I need to wait one more week to get the paperwork finalized so that I do not have to wait on Christmas Island as I need to have the "In Transit Permits" (the approved itinerary) from Washington.

I am learning a lot on this journey: about paperwork, about government, about another culture; but mostly, as with all journeys, I am learning about myself.

No doubt this will be another interesting week.

Please continue to hold a good thought for Gulliver. He moves steadily closer to home!!!

June 14, 2008 - Saturday

This week moved more slowly, more pragmatically. We are still one signature away, but much closer.

The US Embassy on Fiji has been a delight to work with. Katrina, the Executive Assistant, has been acting as my intermediary. With the almost daily assistance from Jonathan B. at CITES, we were able to draft an acceptable (to CITES and USFW) letter for the officials on Kiribati to sign. I wrote a cover letter explaining the situation with Gulliver. The Consulate wrote a Diplomatic cover letter and the package was sent off to their contacts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Kiribati on the main island of Tarawa on Thursday afternoon (their Friday morning.)

Yes, this time thing does remain surreal.

I have been warned that while the consulate feels certain that the Kiribati government will sign off, it may take a week or two or three. But, Katrina assured me, she would stay on top of it and let me know what is transpiring.

I still await my paperwork from USFWS; which I had expected to arrive this week. (Silly me!) I am not sure what their time schedule is. I hope they have not lost the pre-paid overnight UPS envelope I had enclosed. I left a message yesterday and expect to hear early back in the coming week.

I spoke to Dr. Nancy R. at USDA in Washington on Friday. She told me that I can go ahead and send her the itinerary, which has been finalized; although the actual dates (i.e. which week I go) are not a certainty. Since the In-Transit permit will be good for 30 days, she feels that we will be fine if she sends the papers out this week. Worst case, if things take longer than another 30 days (yikes!!), she assured me, she can reissue the In-Transit paperwork for a small re-filing fee, but I doubt that will be necessary.

We are close.

Getting our itinerary lined up has been time consuming for Laureli and Peter in Hawaii, and once we know exactly when we leave, they hope to get at least part of this journey "comped." It would be nice, but I am not counting on it.

I took the information they had sent me yesterday and spent a few hours last night reviewing it. Fortunately the flights, times and destinations, don't appear to change week to week. Since we have figured out a way for Todd Driggers, the Oasis' Vet, to go and be back in Phoenix within a three day turn-around through Fiji, he is up for the adventure!

Please understand while reading this that we really don't know which week we are leaving yet!! It could be as soon as ten days or as long as later in July.

Right now it is all in the hands of the Kiribati officials.

- Todd's insane itinerary:

Todd will fly to Los Angeles on a Sunday afternoon. From Los Angeles he flies to Fiji, arriving at 5AM on Tuesday morning.

Surreal date-line stuff again: Where did Monday go???

He will spend 19 hours on Fiji; gets a hotel room, naps, eats and watches the bats of Fiji at dusk. (This is his idea.)

At approximately midnight that night, he hops another plane to Christmas Island, arriving at 6AM Wednesday morning.

Mamarau, our dear Gulliver loving caregiver on Christmas Island, will meet him at the airport that morning and bring him to Gulliver. Todd will examine him, do some blood and other tests. Then he does the most important part of his mission --- Todd will sign the Health Certificates.

He will have a few hours to roam around, perhaps see the Lagoon which makes up 60% of the island. (They have Frigate birds and Red-footed Boobies.)

At 4PM he will take a plane back to Fiji, catching another plane to LAX a few hours later.

I arrive at 3:30 PM on the day he leaves at about 4 PM. Todd and I say "Hi" and Bye" and I spend the next week with Gulliver and Mamarau on the Island.

Todd arrives in Los Angeles mid-day and flies home to Phoenix that same afternoon; arriving back home in Phoenix Wednesday afternoon after having left Christmas Island Wednesday afternoon.

This is so surreal.

Maybe it has something to do with New Math. (If you are old enough to remember New Math you are ready for AARP. Sigh.)

- Sybil's itinerary:

I will be leaving the Sanctuary on a Sunday early afternoon. I will spend the night in Phoenix and leave for Hawaii on the Monday morning 8:30 AM flight. I will arrive in Honolulu a few minutes before noon, spending that Monday afternoon and evening in Hawaii. Rich is setting me up in a really nice hotel he knows and I will finally able to meet Laureli and Peter. (A day in Hawaii - poor me )

On Tuesday I will catch the once-weekly noon flight to Christmas Island. Although it is a relatively short flight (1000 miles) I arrive on Wednesday afternoon.

(OK, seriously now, where IS Tuesday??)

Mamarau will meet me at the airport. I'll be arriving just in time to see Todd off.

Originally I had wondered why Todd and I could not fly back together; it has to do with the fact that Gulliver cannot go through Fiji.

My flight back the following week (Wednesday) would leave very early in the morning. In other words, that flight leaves right around the time (7:30 AM) that Todd's flight arrives (6:30AM) and if he is late, he would be stuck, which, with his clients awaiting him at home, can not be done. Air Pacific is not known for it's "on time" reliability.

I will be on Christmas Island for a week. I will be at a hotel, their best, which is rather like a Motel 6 without a TV. But the food, I heard from Peter, is good and they have bottled water.

I intend to see as much as possible. Mamamrau has said she can be my "Driver" and will show me things including the local tourist stuff. (I'd rather see the Frigates and Boobies.)

Eventually Wednesday will roll back around. Gulliver and I will catch the early morning flight.

We will arrive in Hawaii around 10:30 AM on Tuesday. (There it is!!!) In Honolulu we will be met by the USDA Veterinarian, Dr. Tim F., who both Laureli and I have spoken to this week. Nice guy! Dr. F. will house Gulliver until our plane to LAX leaves a few hours later.

Dr. F. explained to me that in Hawaii we will only have "a few hours" before the Hawaiian agricultural department gets involved. Dr. F. said the shorter the time on the ground with Gulliver, the better.

We plan to take the 1:15 flight to LAX, bringing us into LAX at 9:30 in the evening. I need to speak to Dr. Cherilyn H. this week to see whether that late arrival would work for her. Our back-up is a night-time flight which would bring us into LAX around 6:30 AM.

I really want to leave in the afternoon, however, for Gulliver's safety.

Gulliver will go into Quarantine for 30 days. He will be in an "Isolette" which we have already reserved and pre-paid.

I recently spoke to my friend Rose from Parrots First in LA and asked her whether she could meet us with a bag of fresh produce for Gulliver's stay. Dr. Cherilyn already has told me she will make sure Gulliver has fresh foods. I will leave her funds for this.

Gulliver's carrier is all ready. All openings are covered with "mosquito screening" as Hawaii is terrified of West Nile Disease. Reasonable. He will have food and water and toys. There are two comfortable perches and a towel on the bottom.

I am packed and ready to go. Actually, I re-packed my original packing yesterday. I have three suitcases, one of which can fit in overhead compartments in the cabin. In my purse, in addition to my medications, makeup, a book, money, passport etc., I will be carrying a micro-chip scanner and a chip (and another as backup should it be needed!) for Gulliver.

My small bag has absolute "necessities", and my mid-size bag has all my clothing as well as enough Granola type "nutrition bars" to feed half of Christmas Island for a week. I have been told by the Consulate not to drink the water, not even to brush my teeth with the water, and to be careful what I eat. So as a vegetarian (they have pigs and chickens as food) and a person highly (read anaphylactic shock) allergic to sea-food which is plentiful there, I am left with few options.

The largest bag is all for Mamarau, Nautonga (her husband the Vet tech who does the island's pig-castrations) and family. There are games for the kids; Baseball caps. Gifts of sweet soaps and things for Mamarau to give to her friends and co-workers. In that suitcase I also am bringing along my own light-weight blanket and towels; all of which can be left with the family.

In addition I have two boxes filled with Veterinary supplies for Nautonga including everything from a snare to humanely hold pigs to antibiotics, antiseptics, and anesthetics.

I have another box which will hold some more personal items for Mamarau and family, as well as a photo album I put together this week with 200 pictures of the Sanctuary, the staff, the birds and other animals. This is a gift to leave with them as a remembrance of their time with Gulliver.

Although my stomach continues to remind me that I am in fact nervous on some level, right now my mind feels calmer than it has in weeks.

We are close. We are close.

Continue to hold a good thought for Gulliver. We will be there soon.

Sunday June 15th - 11:20 PM

I just spent the past three hours exchanging e-mail with David Lambourne, the Solicitor General of Kiribati. He contacted me after visiting our website and reading about Gulliver.

After several posts back and forth, David decided that he will email Jonathan B. (CITES) and find out who the originally sent papers went to in April and try to simply get that signed.

Otherwise, this may literally take an Act of the Cabinet to authorize.

They meet every Wednesday.

Could this get stranger?

Monday June 16th - 7:30 PM

I am elated! I heard from David again today. Here is the latest post: (note the italics are my editorial comments)

Sybil

I have heard back from Jonathan (CITES) The process he describes seems relatively straightforward. It does not require a decision by Cabinet - merely an official communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.

I have spoken already with the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (she received the communication from the US Embassy last week and forwarded it for action by MELAD) and she is happy for her Ministry to help with what is required by CITES. I will need also to speak with the Director of the Environment and Conservation Division of MELAD (Ministry of Environment, Land and Agricultural Development), as they are the relevant body for CITES matters. I should be able to speak with her this morning. We will work on trying to get the required document to the CITES Secretariat within the next few days.

I will keep you posted.

David

Now all I need is USFWS and USDA and get their paperwork to me!!

Hold that good thought for Gulliver!

Tuesday June 17th

Received another post from David today. The signatures should be on their way to Switzerland by Thursday afternoon (their time) which will be Wednesday night here. (?)

This would allow CITES to contact USFW via e-mail no later than Friday the 20th. This really is amazing! After weeks of feeling emotionally bi-polar, depressed, elated: two steps forward -- one or three back; I feel we are moving forward.

I am not sure what this feeling is, perhaps I am feeling: calm??

I spoke at length to Nancy R. at USDA. She will have the papers out and here either end of this week or beginning of next.

I also have a call into Cherilyn H. at LAX regarding our arrival times. She is out of town a few days, but we have enough time to pull that aspect together.

I have several calls and emails as well as a Fax to Tim at USFW/OMA with no reply as yet regarding where our permit is.

I called the Customs brokers from the list in the USDA packet and found that two of six were disconnected numbers. Apparently the USDA does not update this list too often. At the first one I got through to, the woman I needed to speak with was on the phone, so in the time I waiting before I was to call back, I reached Victor at Hahn's International.

Victor is a pip! We chatted a while and he was very interested (as most people are) in the incredible Gulliver tale. By the end of our conversation, he told me everything he felt I needed to know about getting through Customs, gave me his private cell number so that if I did need him, even late at night, he would be available, and then told me that if his help was needed he would "comp" his services.

In return I offered, and sent him, the Gulliver story as far as it goes right now, as well as pictures of Gulliver (for his kid) and where Gulliver will eventually live (the Macaw Aviary.)

Gulliver has made us yet another friend. What a socialite!!

Mamarau's clothing finally came today, after a long "talk" with the on-line-store, who had sent it using one of the carriers which refuses to come out here. For the first time in almost eight years, they actually drove out here! And the clothing is cute! As good if not better than the pictures showed. I am delighted and hope Marau Kay likes them -- and that they fit!

Well --- things are moving and I am happy ... and I continue to hold a good thought for Gulliver.

Thursday - June 19th - 8:25 PM

When I leave the sanctuary on Sunday June 29th, Part 2 of Gulliver's Adventure will begin.

You heard, rather "read", that correctly: when I leave!

This morning at 6 AM I checked my e-mail and found an e-mail from David. He had written to give me the news that the paperwork had been sent to Switzerland.

Dear Sybil

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but I have news that I think you will be happy to hear.

Following our internal consultations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has this afternoon sent a diplomatic note to the CITES Secretariat. A copy of the note is attached. I will follow up with Jonathan B. to make sure that the document gets to him. Hopefully this should be sufficient to satisfy the Secretariat and your DFWS, so that Gulliver can be re-admitted to the US.

(snip)
I think that's all. Best wishes for your travels. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Kind regards
David

After reading it, I noticed another post from him: Jonathan B., our CITES contact had written back to tell him that the paperwork had been received, accepted and was being posted.

This means that we have fulfilled our obligations to USFW and Gulliver is now free to reenter the US!

This afternoon I received the "In Transit Permit" from USDA as well as their confirmation of a pre-paid reservation for Gulliver's Quarantine. I still have not received the USFW permit, but had been assured, when I finally reached Tim earlier this week, that it will be here no later than early next week.

I will, of course, call again tomorrow.

I received a couple of great letters today from my sister-friend Mamarau. Gulliver is beginning to pick up words in I-Kiribati. She is thrilled that the paperwork came from Tarawa (the capital) and that Todd and I are at last coming.

Tomorrow I make our reservations with Air Pacific and Hawaiian Airlines. I am ready to leave!

I must, unfortunately make mention that according to Charlotte's figures, we are running at least $2000 in the hole on this project. (sigh)

BTW- I have been e-mailing back and forth with a few folks from Southern California. When Gulliver gets out of Quarantine, we plan a get-together. Not sure exactly how they count the days, but somewhere around Aug 8-10th??

Thank you all!

Hold that wonderful thought for Gulliver --- He will be home soon.

With love to all!

      Syb

June 25, 2008

Well, Gulliver finally made the papers. This was in today's Honolulu Advertiser (a Gannett newspaper)

GULLIVER THE STRANDED PARROT IS RETURNING TO THE US

By Dave Dondoneau ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com
Advertiser Staff

It's taken nearly seven months and mounds of paperwork, but Gulliver is finally returning

The 4-year-old blue and gold macaw has been stranded on Fanning Island since its owners were shipwrecked on the tiny South Pacific island in early December.

Perhaps the most famous macaw in the world because of its plight, Gulliver was abandoned by its owners when they were rescued by a cargo ship that couldn't take animals on board.

The family's cocker spaniel, Snickers, was also left behind, but he was rescued three months ago by a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and is now at his adopted home in Las Vegas.

Gulliver's travels haven't been quite so simple.

Because the original owners didn't have the proper paperwork for the macaw, Gulliver's rescuers had to go through mounds of paperwork and red tape with custom and USDA officials as well as government officials from Fanning Island and other U.S. departments to save Gulliver from being euthanized.

But all threats of that happening have ended. Rescuers with The Oasis Sanctuary said they will be retrieving him this weekend.

"Gulliver's life has been in danger for seven months, due to strict non-importation regulations regarding animals, in particular birds," said Sybil Erden, executive director with the sanctuary. "The government of the Republic of Kiribati became legal owners of Gulliver when he was abandoned, signing him over to The Oasis Sanctuary in early May."

Erden said in an email that several individuals and agencies, including the U.S. Embassy in Fiji and Kiribati Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Solicitor General, helped the bird.

Erden and Oasis veterinarian Todd Driggers leave for Kiribati on Friday to bring Gulliver to the U.S.

Erden said that Gulliver is slated to become the "Spokes Parrot" for all lost, abused and homeless parrots throughout the country.

The Oasis Sanctuary is the largest, non-profit, dually accredited life-care facility for parrots in the U.S.

Today's post is the last update in Part 1 of The Amazing Tale of Gulliver Macaw. As soon as I leave the Sanctuary on Sunday, Part 2 begins. I will be keeping a Journal and *love* to write when traveling.

This week has been passing quickly, but not quickly enough.
I have received the permits, and am only missing a USFWS over-nighted original (mailed yesterday and arriving today) and they at least Faxed me a copy.

I finalized plane reservations with Southwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Air Pacific for Todd and myself. I have packed, repacked and will be performing one more re-pack of boxes, suitcases, my medical kit and Gulliver's carrier. Hawaiian Airlines is comping Gulliver and discounting my round-trip flight. (Thank you, Keoni!)

In addition to taking The Oasis' digital still-camera, I will take a video camera so this week I learned how to use the new-to-us video camera (thanks Neal and Pat!) Janet donated over a case of extra tapes, so I will have lots of photos and lots of video when I return!

I suffer from techno-deficit. I just learned how to download music onto my computer and then upload it into an MP3 player which I also stocked with pictures of The Oasis. (I went from records to tape - bypassing 8-track - and didn't get a CD player until two years ago. Please note I never even had a Walk-man.) I packed about a half dozen books for plane-reading as well.

I sent out a thank-you letter to as many of the people who have directly helped in this 3 month long (to date) rescue as I could think of, and I know there will be those who, in my haste to send the post out, will be angry or hurt at being forgotten. I can only send my apologies here and let you all know this letter is for you as well!

Dear Friends...old, new and not yet met....

I am writing those of you who have helped me in one capacity or another over the last 11+ weeks. I wish to thank you all for the help provided in bringing Gulliver the Macaw back to safety. You are all, literally, life-savers.

In some cases you may have given me a name or a telephone number to call. Maybe you helped me work through part of the bureaucratic quagmire of regulations which were mystifying me. Some of you got me signatures or generated documents or paperwork. Some wrote letters. Several of you simply talked to me and headed me in the right direction, while others put in legwork and long hours.

Each and every one of you played an integral part of this extraordinary international rescue. Each of you helped piece together the puzzle. None of this would have come together without the help received from every one of you. I humbly and gratefully thank you all.

Todd, Oasis' Vet, and I leave next Sunday on the last leg of this almost three month excursion, going to Kiribati to bring Gulliver back to the States. Gulliver will be in USDA Quarantine in LA for 30 days and then will begin his new life at The Oasis Sanctuary. He will become the "Spokes Parrot" for all lost, homeless and abandoned parrots throughout the US...and perhaps farther away.

Gulliver, The Oasis and I owe each of you a debt. We are here for you whenever you need us.

With deeply felt, whole-hearted thanks...

Sybil

Earlier his week, after speaking with Charlotte about how much we were spending and how much we had taken in, I put out an OasisNews plea for funds. I also put out a personal request to purchase the Save Gulliver T-shirts. Since Gulliver will be the "Spokes Parrot" for all US homeless, abandoned and abused birds, I think wearing this beautiful shirt will generate interest and start the conversations rolling.

And I am so pleased to say that people have been coming through! God-bless bird people!!!

My old buddy Rich has gotten me a room in a beautiful bed-and-breakfast for the one night I will be in Hawaii. I will have the pleasure of meeting with him and my new-old friends Laureli and Peter for a sun-set dinner overlooking the Pacific.

Mamarau and I have been in contact (still only via e-mail) and we are both looking forward to my arrival=85although Mamarau recognizes already how much she will miss the boy=85I can't wait to meet my new extended family.

Tomorrow, Thursday, will be my last day in the office until I return. Friday I will be relaxing and having a girls' day outing with Staff-members Janet and Nancy, whose day off it is. This will be followed by Pizza-night-out with the Staff and our wonderful Volunteers.

Saturday I intend to pull my house in order, spend time with my animals and do a final re-pack (I am trying to whittle down my clothing etc as I tend to over stock on trips.)

I have spoken with Tom, our web-guy, and I will be copying him with updates as I can get e-mail out. He will post them both as OasisNews and on the website. If I can send photos, I will, but am under the expectation that due to bandwidth limitations it may not be possible.

I cannot wait to meet Gulliver.

That is what it all comes down to. I already am in love with him!

So continue to hold that good thought, folks. With all your help and support and well wishes, we have come so far!!

Syb

Monday evening June 30

Dear Friends....

Made it to Hawaii today. What an incredible place! I will have photos galore! Saw some beautiful but absolutely different Cardinals, mynah birds and cow egrets....

I am at my friend Rich's house, getting ready to meet some of the Team Gulliver for dinner and decided to check e-mail... Below is a wonderful post from Mamarau I thought I'd like to share....

Good morning, now I am in town to retype the export and declaration form for Gulliver before Todd arrive. I am so proud of you and Todd to come and pick Gulliver. The story will be end now for gulliver in this island, but the dream of you is come thru.

This morning I pick gulliver on a stick, I took him outside to have some fun, you know what is doing? he play a trick moving down up and shouting with joyice and likely he might taught he climb the tree. Last Sabbath I took him to the church, he stay on the truck in his cage, then after the church I put him on the tree to relax, he really like it so much, but the thing he never make a noise when we were in the church.

Now, he knows that he will have his shower very morning, I just imagine myself that here is hot and maybe he needs some cool water but our place is cool enough and fresh air nice to him.

I feel that I will cry for gulliver, I will miss him but finally is a bird, to me is not important but now that I get used to care for him and I just realize that this birds is like us too, have brains and mind, even its just a bird, but somehow he can talk.

I took gulliver for a lift to make him happy and also is a final farewell for him while he's here, he likes me alots, he like a baby, when I left this morning he cried, and my daughter came yesterday and he told me that when she about to reach the house gulliver is shouting and say hellow, she surprise how this bird know her that she is coming? I just do not know maybe he feel its by its sense? or just guess, just amazing to us maybe Sybil knows more about this bird.

The form I will be prepared and make a space for the Vetnirary to sign what is the title. Nautonga is here now so he will do the rest of my part since he's a vet man.

Hope to meet you tomorrow afternoon, Todd I will meet him this early morning. All the best to you and hope to hear from you when you arrive.

Bye and tiaboo.

love Gulliver and marau.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Christmas Island and to meet Marmamarau's family...and our boy, Gulliver.
More when I can....

With love and thanks to all....

  Sybil

3:30 PM Honolulu (6:30 PM in AZ--- 9:30 PM EST)

Dearest Friends of Gulliver and the Oasis

The saga continues....

Hawaii is great. Loved meeting Laureli and Peter yesterday evening for dinner at a nice restaurant on the beach at Turtle Bay. Team Gulliver are undoubtably lovely people. Rich spent the afternoon chauffering me around the island. Got great pictures of birds and a lizard, among other wonderful things, including fauna and landscape/ocean shots.

Got to the hotel and slept like a rock....

...and I was up at dawnm today. I was supposed to leave for Christmas Island at noon ... However plane problems have delayed the flight until 3:30 AM this coming morning. Todd. our Vet, was somewhere over the Pacific on that very plane when problems were discovered and they returned to Fiji. I was terrified until I heard they landed ok. He is now scheduled to be arriving in Christmas Island before dark tonight....and we will still have our 1/2-1 hour "hi-and-bye" at the airport tomorrow morning aorund 6-7 AM

This gave me the time to go gift shopping for staff as I suspect there may not be that much on the island. Still haven't found much ... but it is a start.

The last crazy thing I learned today --- from the Dive-guy on Xmas who Peter contacted --- the internet tower is being repaired and the internet is down. I may be out of touch the entire time I am gone. I can only pray that I can get some service before I leave to insure there have not been any last-minute changes in Hawaii or LAX regarding Gulliver's arrival.

I keep asking ... can it get much stranger? ....

Hold a good thought for Gulliver ... and for Todd and me. If you don't hear from me before, I am keeping a journal and will post much with photos when I return!!!

Aloha....and mahalo....

Syb

The following links are news stories about the shipwreck:

To help fund this specific rescue, please click on this link which will take you to a page which will allow you to make a donation to help rescue Gulliver. Any funds not spent directly on this rescue will be set aside for birds coming into The Oasis without financial help.

Photos from the new macaw aviary at the Oasis

 
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Last Modified:    April 25, 2008 17:23 MST