Iggy Pop‘s cockatoo – Biggy Pop – has been named a founding patron of Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital. The news arrives alongside a “statement” from the Instagram-famous bird, explaining the decision behind becoming a patron as the organisation works towards building the country’s largest mobile wildlife hospital, a vital undertaking as we head towards bushfire season.
“I’m a bird, and a real wild one, and I have many cockatoo cousins in Australia. I was so distressed to hear that 180 million birds died in the catastrophic bushfire crisis that killed over 3 billion native animals over the Australian summer,” Biggy is quoted as saying.
“That really horrified me. I heard about the team of Australian veterinarians building Australia’s largest mobile wildlife hospital and I thought, ‘That is such a brilliant idea.’ So when they asked if I would be their founding Patron, I thought ‘Yeah, I’d love to connect with my bird sisters and brothers in the magical land of Oz.'”
According to the statement, father Iggy told the bird Australia is a “really cool place where people care for nature and love music, dancing, art and creativity.”
Iggy took in Biggy around 12 years ago from a roadside vendor in Florida. “He seemed to be in peril of a bad future,” Pop commented. “So we decided to take care of him, responsibly. And we have. He gets and gives a lot of love.”
You can watch a video regarding Iggy and his feathered bestie’s involvement in the organisation, and donate to Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital here.
