The red-footed booby at Mallydams Photo Carole Green

Sad news about the booby

HOT’s Chandra Masoliver gives the sad news of the end of the valiant red footed booby’s life journey.

The staff and volunteers at Mallydams were deeply saddened by the news that Norman, the red-footed booby that landed on the St Leonards beach last September, did not survive in his new life on the Cayman Islands. Everyone at Mallydams had done all they could to save the life of this valiant, almost mythical bird – and he made a great recovery with them.

(Here the clip of the booby catching fish: scroll down to 17 December post on the Mallydams Woods Facebook Page.)

When the time came for him to be released, British Airways generously flew Norman for free to the Cayman Islands, accompanied by Mallydams vet, Barbara Watson. so she could settle him in, for the mandatory 30 days quarantine imposed by the Cayman Island Environment Agency. Ten days later, on Christmas day he, who turned out to be a ‘she’, died.

The aim of Mallydams is always to return animals back to their natural habitat and very frequently this is achieved. The reasons for the booby’s death are unclear, as nothing definite was found on post mortem, but changes in environmental conditions and feeding protocols could be a factor.

Find out more via the Mallydams website or check out Mallydams Wood’s Wish List on Amazon.

Mallydams Wood is a charity, registered under the RSPCA, no. 219099, reliant on public donations. It is run by staff and volunteers and is kept impeccably clean. It is normally not open to the public so that traumatized animals can recover in peace, with expert care. Telephone 0300 123 0723.

Also in: The HOT Planet