Kon-Tiki was named after the Inca sun god.  She lived for 20 years with a lady who eventually, in her mid-80s, had to move into a care home,  We don’t know what life was like for Kon-Tiki before, but now everything changed.  Family members didn’t want her, her care became haphazard and neglectful.  When her owner died in 2008, the family called the Oasis.

When we met Kon-Tiki, she was in a collar, had an open bleeding hole in her chest and severely overgrown beak and nails.  Frightened, in pain, her eyes seemed to be pleading, “Please help me and love me”.

Immediate veterinary care sutured the wound and proper grooming got her beak and nails back into shape.  Loving Oasis caregivers offered her everything she needed to heal and her physical and emotional wounds began to improve.

With gentle reassurance that she mattered and was loved, she rediscovered her voice, her spark, and vibrant and boisterous personality – just what one would expect from a happy Moluccan Cockatoo. Yet, the scars of her fretful past remained.  Trauma showed itself in bursts of fear, self-mutilation and angry outbursts that spoke more of her pain than her personality.

Living outdoors in the female cockatoo aviary, a space where she could breathe, make her own choices and explore gave her a chance to be in control of her life.  She greatly improved, living a life of free choice with love and attention from caregivers and her flock friends. She’s made many flock friends over the years and enjoys hanging out with other species of cockatoos.

Now in her 40s, Kon-Tiki is a sweet, vibrant girl who has come farther than anyone could have imagined.  She is talkative and animated and sometimes makes foul-mouthed mischievous “wise cracks” at anyone she sees or hears. The anger and terror that once fueled her words are gone – now, it’s simply Kon-Tiki being Kon-Tiki.

Despite all her progress, Kon-Tiki still needs her collar and protective sweaters to keep her from mutilating, but she wears them with flair, supporting different seasonal styles

Sanctuaries like the Oasis rely on steady support to continue to provide Kon-Tiki and the other 800+ birds in their care lives worth living.

If you’d  like to help, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the Oasis at https://the-oasis.org/donate/

She LOVES Sockatoos!  If you would like to send Kon-Tiki a Sockatoo, note her name at checkout and we’ll see it gets to the right beak.