A lot of birds, parrots had been famous for a few weeks. Some of them were very old, some of them were very smart and some of them had strange appearance. The newest member in the illustrious group of famous birds is called Oscar. Even though this is not a unique name at all, the bird itself has a very good chance to be the most interesting animal you have ever seen.
Oscar is a cockatoo, but it is much stranger than those cockatoos that are dancing to Backstreet Boys music, or those that are terrorizing cats or larger animals. The reason is very simple. Oscar does not have feathers. OK, it has a few on the head but the rest of its body is completely naked… Featherless… If you had not seen Oscar, imagine a bald chicken that is running, throwing pens, dancing to Mick Jagger hits.
The reason is a rare illness, beak and feather disease. In most cases this illness is deadly and does not allow more than six months. Oscar was diagnosed some 12 years ago. Although it (or she) has never had a full coat of feathers, sometimes it has feathers here and there. But because of the deadly illness, these feathers are so irritating to the bird, that she pulls them out. It is a harder mission on the head, that is the reason why Oscar has a few funny feathers around the eyes.
Since the disease is contagious the famous animal may not be together with other birds. Her new home is in Florida, in Broward County Humane Society Shelter. But do not think of Oscar as a sad and pathetic creature. In the last 12 years this unique bird became the greatest sensation of the shelter, and caught the attention and heart of hundreds of visitors.
