Piaf

Turquoise-fronted amazon · Amazona aestiva

Lives with a permanent injury from rescue

Cause of rescue

Direct human violence

Conservation status

Near Threatened (IUCN 2019)

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Piaf, a blind turquoise-fronted amazon, resting under technical care on a caretaker’s hand at the reserve — he depends on this support to balance. — Piaf is resting on a caretaker’s hand because he is blind and cannot balance on his own — technical handling of an animal with a permanent disability, never pet-like contact.

Piaf's irises were burned with a lit cigarette — abuse tied to the illegal wildlife trade, which reduces a wild bird to a display object. The injury left permanent visual and motor damage: he is blind and fully dependent on the reserve's team to feed, move, and balance. The photograph on this page shows him resting on a caretaker's hand — not as affection or companionship, but because without that physical support he cannot stand. It is technical handling of an animal with a permanent disability, not pet-like contact.

IUCN Red List assessment, 2019 — capture pressure for the pet trade is cited among the factors behind the classification.