Parrot Jungle Island, one of the oldest tourist attractions in Miami, has announced it no longer will sell expensive exotic birds, including macaws. There had been complaints that these birds were being abandoned or given away.
Some of the birds were sold by Parrot Jungle for as much as $1,800.
Nevertheless, Parrot Jungle, a theme park with 3,000 creatures that dates to 1936 and moved last year to 18.6 acres between downtown Miami and South Beach off the MacArthur Causeway, said the decision to close its retail bird shop this month had nothing to do with such criticism. "We evaluated our retail space and decided we need to focus on those areas that were proving to be more profitable," said Emily Marquez, director of sales and marketing.
Ron Magill, communications director at Miami MetroZoo, said he often got calls from buyers saying they had made a mistake and wanted to donate the birds to the zoo. Others turned them loose, and the birds can be seen in trees throughout Miami.
DETAILS: Parrot Jungle Island, 1-(305)-400-7000 or www.parrotjungle.com.
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