The City of Nanaimo is stepping up to help house hundreds of displaced exotic birds after the closure of a parrot refuge in Coombs.
Council agreed to rent a former SPCA building on Labieux Road to the Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary, which has assumed responsibility for the relocation of around 450 exotic birds.
The SPCA recently launched an investigation into the refuge over reports many parrots were in distress and living in sub-standard conditions.
As dozens of complaints from the public rolled in, the refuge closed, and was in the process of rehoming many of the birds when Nanaimo made the announcement Thursday.
"The City of Nanaimo is very pleased that we can assist Greyhaven with the relocation of the exotic birds from the World Parrot Refuge,” Coun. Wendy Pratt said in a statement.
The Labieux Road building will only be used as a “staging area” for some of the birds as they are rehoused.
It is being leased to Greyhaven for a measly $1 per annum, but the organization will be on the hook for insurance and utilities.
The lease will end on Dec. 1, but Greyhaven expects all of the birds to have new homes by then, the city said.
