Small acts of kindness. Saving Jorge

Feeling a bit hungry, he walked across the road looking for a better place to eat. A loud noise, a blur of red, and then indescribable pain!  He lay flat on the roadway, unable to move, barely conscious – when he felt himself being lifted up and placed into a large container.

Jacana - slowly recovering

This was not how the young Jacana bird, Jorge, had planned to start his day; first a collision with a taxi, and then a human taking him prisoner. 

His mother had warned him about the dangers of living near humans, but sometimes you just had to take the risk to find food. Collapsing in pain inside the bucket, Jorge wondered what his fate might be.

He heard a man and a woman discussing him, saying he probably wouldn't live more than a few minutes due to his head injury. No! I will survive. Jorge decided. Waiting, waiting: as the hours passed, Jorge slowly regained a bit of strength. The woman checked frequently to see if he was still alive. Eventually, he was able to lift his head off the bottom of the bucket, and then, finding a hidden reserve of energy, he tucked his long-toed feet under his body and sat upright. Oh, but the pain in his head. It was fierce!

The human popped her head into the room again, pulling back the edge of the towel covering the top of the bucket, talking to him as if he understood her words. “I posted on social media asking if anyone knows how to help you. A friend offered to contact Delfino Guevera, the local veterinarian. So we'll see what Delfino says,” she said, gently replacing the towel, leaving him alone in the dark, fretting over what would happen next.

Clinica Veterinaria de Isla Mujeres 

A short time later, the Jacana heard another human voice, asking if he was still alive. “Yes, he's here,” the woman said, “I have a bird in a bucket in my bathroom.” Jorge didn't understand why that was funny, but both the woman and the man she called Delfino chuckled. Next, the veterinarian deftly moved him from the bucket into a cage that smelled alarmingly like cats! 

Was he going to be fed to cats? That would be a horrible end to a really bad day.

Delfino told the woman that he would take the juvenile Jacana to his clinic.  If he survived, Delfino said he would probably take him to the bird sanctuary in Cancun the following day. The trip to the clinic on a motorcycle was short and scary. Once inside the bright new building, Jorge was thoroughly examined by the veterinarian and placed in a cage. As he huddled in fear, the smell of cats, dogs, and strange chemicals swirled around him. He was accustomed to the smell of the ocean, the marshes, other birds, and nearby humans. He was not accustomed to having so many predators, his enemies, in the same area. It was terrifying!

Rosa & Codie

Very soon, another male voice could be heard. “Is this the poor guy that had a run-in with the taxi?” the man asked. 

Instead of taking the bird on another stressful trip to the sanctuary in Cancun, Delfino had called an island friend who had experience helping wild birds recuperate. “I'll take him home.” Gunther Hepner said, gently picking up the bird. "We'll get him fixed up.”

Another fast motorcycle ride, then they entered yet another building and Jorge could smell birds – other birds! “This is Codie and Rosa.” Gunther said as he introduced his pets to Jorge, “Kids, say hello to your new roommate.”

Jorge the Jacana back in the wild

“Well, this is encouraging,” Jorge thought. He was already feeling a bit better. “If this human has pet birds, then he probably won't feed me to a cat!” Jorge was put in a dark, quiet place for the night and given water to drink. 

The next morning, the man gave him a tasty breakfast of fresh flies. By now, Jorge was able to stand on Gunther's hand, balancing precariously for a few minutes.   “You'll be fine,” he said, “I'm going to put you back into a marshy area where you can find food and water, and similar friends. But first, we need to have a chat about your bad behaviour. You must stay away from roads. Next time you may not be so lucky!”

Paradise!

Jorge agreed wholeheartedly. He was very lucky indeed to have so many humans helping him get better. And he could still enjoy life in paradise.

If you see a beautifully coloured Jacana bird, it just might be Jorge. Tell him Dr. Delfino Guevera, Gunther Hepner, Lawrie, and I are happy he survived his near-fatal encounter with a taxi.

Hasta luego, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas

Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky