Selecting a budgie

As a first-time owner, you’ll benefit from choosing a young bird, although it should be over eight weeks so that it’s ready to leave its mother. Juveniles are more straightforward to tame than old birds that may be set in their ways. When making a selection, consider personality first and then appearance.

Budgies can have big personalities, and you may prefer certain qualities. For example, shy, quiet birds or those that seem aggressive don’t make great pets for beginners. Those that are chirpy, bright, and curious are most suitable.

It’s also helpful to contemplate whether you want a male or female bird. Hens can be harder to train than cocks. They can, however, talk, despite rumors that only males have this ability. If you buy more than one, remember cocks and hens may breed. You could end up with a bigger budgie family than you anticipated.

Buy your budgie from a reliable breeder who can give you advice. Also, if you do take on an older bird, ask whether it is used to being handled. You may be disappointed if your budgie doesn’t want to interact with you as much as you do with them.

Cage, accessories, and food

Budgies thrive in pleasant surroundings. They like to fly and play. Consequently, get a large cage if you can. The bars mustn’t be wider than 12mm apart, or your new pet might escape. There should be vertical bars and horizontal ones so your pet can climb.

Install a few perches if some aren’t inside the cage since budgies like to roost. You’ll need a seed bowl, water bowl, cuttlefish, and various toys because your bird will want to have fun. Budgies need mental stimulation and enjoy bells to knock and millet sprigs to shred.

Grit spread lightly over a newspaper floor lining of the cage aids digestion. At the same time, give your bird a mineral and vitamin seed mixture. Add it to regular budgie seed, which you can buy from a pet store.

Remember, budgies are social creatures. Although this might be why you like them, you won’t want your pet waking you early in the morning to say hello. With this in mind, buy a cage cover to shut out the light. As long as it’s dark, your new pal will imagine it’s not the time to awaken.

You’ll find your budgie a great friend, providing constant companionship and affection. Select a youngster who’s curious and pleased to be with you. Also, buy a suitable cage, food, and accessories, and your pet will be happy.

A courageous cat from Croydon has been named PDSA Pet Survivor of the Year after he was caught in a terrible fire, leaving him with extensive burns and fighting for his life. The award recognises Robbie’s sheer determination to pull through despite the odds, as well as his owner’s devotion to his care and the dedication of the vet team who provided his life-saving treatment. Vet charity PDSA set up the competition to find Britain’s pluckiest pet.

According to senior vet Elaine Pendlebury: “We were inundated with amazing stories of pets that have survived against all odds. The entries included pets hit by trains, lost on the moors, crushed by tractors, bitten by snakes and cancer sufferers to name but a few. They were truly inspirational and helped to remind me why I originally decided to become a vet.”

Robbie was nominated for the competition by his now owner, Gill Smith, 54, a retired police officer from South Croydon. Robbie was just six-months-old and thought to be a stray when he took shelter in an abandoned sofa in the village of Ash, Kent, in May this year. But this nearly proved his undoing when it was somehow set alight and consumed by flames, with poor Robbie still inside. He was rushed to nearby Broadway Vets with severe burns to his face, head, legs and paws.

Principal vet Sarah Platt said: “Robbie was in shock when he arrived and needed intensive care. He stayed with us for six-months during which time he had two skin grafts and daily dressing changes. One of his back legs also had to be amputated. But Robbie always loved attention even when he was critically ill – very few animals could have coped the way he did.”

Despite the pain and discomfort, Robbie was very tolerant and patient as he received thousands of pounds worth of treatment to put him back on all-fours. Incredibly, much of this was paid for by the local community after the vet practice published appeals in the local paper.

Gill was visiting Herne Bay when she saw Robbie’s story in the local paper and joined in the fundraising activities to finance his treatment. She visited him regularly, despite living some distance away and, when no owner came forward, she offered Robbie a home for life.

Gill said: “I’m over the moon that Robbie has won PDSA Pet Survivor 2013. He is a unique character and he still bears the physical scars from his fiery ordeal. The tips of his ears are missing, he has a ‘Mohican’ due to the skin graft on his head, and the toes on his remaining back leg were ‘melted’ together into a stump. But despite this he runs around the house like a rocket. He is a little hero, and his bravery and fortitude have inspired many people in the community.”

courageous – bátor
extensive burns – kiterjedt égési sérülések
to recognise – felismerni
sheer determination – teljes elszántság
despite the odds – minden valószínűség ellenére
devotion – odaadás, önfeláldozás
dedication – elhivatottság
to provide – biztosítani, lehetővé tenni
life-saving treatment – életmentő kezelés/beavatkozás
plucky – bátor, merész
according to – valami szerint
to be inundated with- elárasztva lenni valamivel
moor- kikötőhely
to remind- emlékeztetni
to be nominated for- valamire jelölve lenni
retired- nyugdíjas
stray- kóbor (kutya, macska)
to take shelter – menedéket találni
abandoned – elhagyatott
to set alight – lángra gyúlni
to be consumed by flames – a lángok martalékává válni
severe burns – súlyos égési sérülések
paw – mancs
skin graft – bőrátültetés
dressing – kötözés
to cope – megbírkózik valamivel
discomfort – kényelmetlenség, nyugtalanság
incredibly – hihetetlen módon
appeal – felhívás
fundraising – adománygyűjtés

Australia seems to be the proud motherland of some of the world’s most well-known “crocodile hunters”. Now, following in the footsteps of Crocodile Dundee and a more real-life hero, the late Steve Irwin, Charlie Parker is officially the youngest “reptile expert” on the planet at age three.

Australia’s youngest wildlife ranger comes from a long line of animal carers and his family has owned and run the Ballarat Wildlife Park in Victoria, Australia for generations.

"We’re still shocked by his natural ability with the animals. We didn’t go out to encourage it but he just loves reptiles,"says his father, Greg Parker, the owner of the park.

He is no typical father either. Instead of fearing for his toddler’s safety while he’s wrestling with snakes and alligators, he is as proud as he could be.

"It’s quite remarkable to watch – he has absolutely no fear of them and he doesn’t just handle them, he also has the knowledge. We’ve never purposely exposed him to the animals – he’s just got this obsession with snakes and lizards. It must be genetic."

Charlie first hit headlines as a snake wrangler and crocodile hunter at the age of two when he appeared on pictures playing with his best friends, Pablo and Gump. And no, they are not the average friends parents would usually approve of. Pablo is an 8-feet-long boa constrictor, while Gump is an alligator, though he does wear a snout-restrainer while he’s splashing around with the “gator kid”.

Others are not as enthusiastic about young Charlie’s skills as his wildlife loving family. Animal expert, Jack Hanna said that “proper supervision of animals is critical and without that, people are placed in jeopardy”, adding that “you can train a wild animal but you can never tame a wild animal.”

Nevertheless, Charlie seems to be fulfilling his role as the rightful heir to the next great Australian crocodile hunter’s throne. His father also has high hopes for him: “He can be an ambassador for animal conservation and welfare. I think it’s great for everybody.”

to follow in the footsteps of (someone) – valaki nyomdokaiba lépni
late – néhai, egykori
officially – hivatalosan
reptile expert -hüllő szakértő
wildlife ranger – vadőr
animal carer – állatgondozó
ability – képesség
to encourage – bátorítani
instead of – ahelyett, hogy
to fear – félni, tartani valamitől
to wrestle – birkózni
remarkable – elképesztő, csodálatos
to handle – kezelni, bánni valamivel
knowledge – tudás
purposely – szándékosan
to expose someone to something – kitenni valakit valaminek
obsession – rögeszme, rajongás
to hit headlines – címplapra kerülni
snake wrangler – kígyó tenyésztő
to approve of – helyeselni, jóváhagyni
boa constrictor – óriás kígyó
snout-restrainer – ’szájkosár’
to splash around – pancsolni, vízben játszani
enthusiastic – lelkes
skill – képesség
proper supervision – megfelelő felügyelet
in jeopardy – veszélyben
to tame – megszelídíteni
to fulfill – beteljesíteni
role – szerep
rightful heir to the throne – a trón jogos várományosa/örököse
conservation – védelem, megőrzés
welfare – jólét

A young red fox was found injured and alone outside a shop in the middle of the busy town center of Leatherhead, Surrey. The abandoned cub weighing just 700g was clearly struggling before a kind passer-by spotted him and contacted a nearby wildlife aid center. The cub had apparently been separated from his mother and had a broken leg. After being contacted, the Wildlife Aid Foundation took the cub into their care. At the center the baby fox’s leg was bandaged as he waited for an orthopedic surgeon to operate on his injured limb. Unfazed by the green bandage on his front right leg, the fox cub quickly used it as a pillow to rest his weary head on.

Founder of Wildlife Aid, Simon Cowell, said: "The young cub was found with a broken leg outside the front of a shop door. It is likely the cub’s mother may have dropped him while carrying him around in her mouth. Although, it is also possible his mother may have been hit by a car and killed, leaving the cub abandoned.”

He also added: “It is very rare for an animal of that age to suffer a broken leg because their young bones are still quite soft."

While this young fox was obviously not a threat to humans, but rather the other way around, it is not a good idea to get too close to wild animals, especially ones who wander into an urban environment looking for food or shelter. They will feel more at risk if humans try to get close to them and even cornered. Any wild animal will be more likely to attack out of fear or confusion than surrender.

injured – sérült
alone – egyedül
busy – forgalmas
to abandon – el-/magára hagyni
to struggle – küzdeni
passer-by – járókelő
to spot – észrevenni, megpillantani
wildlife aid center – vadállatmentési alapítvány központja
cub – (róka)fióka, kölyök
apparently – kétségtelenül, láthatólag
to take into (one’s) care – gondjaiba venni
to bandage – bekötözni/-fáslizni
orthopedic surgeon – ortopéd sebész
limb – végtag
unfazed – zavartalan, nem izgatott
weary – kimerült, megfáradt
likely – valószínű
to drop – elejteni
rare – ritka
to suffer – elszenvedni
obviously – nyilvánvalóan
threat – fenyegetés, veszély
to wander – kóborolni, vándorolni
urban environment – városi környezet
shelter – menedék
to feel at risk – veszélynek kitéve érezni magát
to corner – sarokba szorítani
out of fear – félelemből
confusion – zavarodottság
to surrender – megadni magát

Their unusual and beautiful friendship is not only a treat for the visitors of the park, but it could also serve as an example to us humans about accepting and loving each other in spite of our differences. In other words, it really does seem you don’t have to be the same species to make great friends.

Bam Bam, the 5-month old grizzly bear and Vali, the 16-month-old chimpanzee were both born at the South Carolina safari park, as were their parents.

Although Bam Bam is somewhat younger than Vali, they are a perfect match now because, as park owner, Bhagavan Antle explains: “Bears grow incredibly quick and chimps incredibly slow. Recently Bam Bam got to be about the same size as Vali and we could see that they were just about paired up. When the pair was introduced, they hit it off immediately.” About the first meeting, Dr. Antle says: “We got them out there playing on a sunny day and they went on and on for hours. Neither of them wanted to quit. They would both lie down and fall asleep at our feet, wake back up and start wrestling again.”

Since then the best friends have been spending part of each day together, playing, brains meeting brawns. Bhagavan says: “Bam Bam ultimately has more power, but Vali tricks him and can constantly get behind him. He will throw things at Bam Bam and run around him in circles.”

Their games can get a little wild and rough with lots of tumbling and an occasional nip here and there, but it’s obvious the two love being in each other’s company. As the park owner comments: “They’re fabulous together. Even for myself and other trainees, who have watched this type of thing for decades, these two are hilarious. It brings a smile to your face to see them together.”

Needless to say, visitors also delight in watching the duo playing tag and wrestling with each other. When they’re not together, Vali continues with fun and games among his primate relatives as he is much more active and energetic than his cub friend. He also helps his mother, the chimp ambassador of the park, raise funds for The Rare Species Fund, an international conservation group that has helped raise more than a million dollars for various conservation programs. Bam Bam, on the other hand, prefers a much slower and a more laid back pace of life when he’s not busy playing with Vali. His other favorite pastime is eating.

Bhagavan says: “Bam Bam is an eating machine. He eats an enormous amount of food and likes nothing better than to sit around and enjoy a bottle or bowl of sweet potatoes and chicken mash.” No wonder, in time he will grow to weigh around 400kg and will be about nine times the size of his chimp pal when they are adults. And while the safari park staff can’t foretell how long this unique friendship will last, one thing is sure. Bam Bam and Vali have been inseparable since they met and are best friends for the time being. Let’s hope this is only “the beginning of a beautiful friendship”…

continent – kontinens
to roam – barangolni, kóborolni
wilderness – vadon
literally – a szó szoros értelmében
resident – lakos
unusual – szokatlan
treat – jutalom, élvezet, mulatság
species – faj
match – pár(-ja valaminek)
incredibly – hihetetlenül
to hit off – jól kijönni
to quit – feladni, abbahagyni
to wrestle – birkózni
brain – ész, elme, agy
brawn – izom, testierő
ultimately – végül, végtére
constantly – állandóan
rough – durva
to tumble – bukfencezni, bukdácsolni
nip – éles apró harapás
obvious – nyilvánvaló, egyértelmű
fabulous – mesés, csodás
hilarious – vicces, nevetséges
primate – főemlős
cub – medvebocs
to raise funds – pénzgyűjtés jótékony célra
conservation – természetvédelem
laid back – laza
pace – ütem
pastime – szabadidős foglalkozás
enormous – óriási
to foretell – előrelátni, megjósolni
inseparable – elválaszthatatlan

A strangenight-time visitor to a garden in Somerset has been apprehended after being caught on infra-red camera.The mystery interloper was thought to be a badger but has now been identified as a North American raccoon. The animal became a regular visitor to a back garden in Taunton after the homeowner began leaving out tasty treats.

Nature lover Kenneth Beazley thought the hungry creature was a native badger. However, confused by its unusual striped tail he reported the sightings to the local Badger Trust group. They in turn spoke to staff at the Secret World Animal Rescue centre who decided to investigate.

Setting up a camerain the garden they were surprised to discover that the nightly forager was not a badger but a raccoon. They managed to lure the animal into a cage using some titbits and the interloper – who has been called Bandit – is now being cared for by staff. Bandit is believed to be an escaped pet because he is tame and easy to handle. He was lucky to have been discovered because if he has been hand reared he would have found it difficult to find food in the wild.

Secret World staff is now hoping that Bandit’s owner will come forward but if they do not a more permanent home will be found for him.

night-time [ˈnaɪt aɪm] – éjjeli, éjszakai
visitor [ˈvɪzɪtə] – látogató
to be apprehended [tə bi ˌæprɪˈhendɪd] – letartóztatva, elfogva lenni
to be caught on camera [tə bi ˈkɔːt ɒn ˈkæmərə] – észrevéve lenni kamerán
infra-red [ˌɪnfrə ˈred] – infravörös
mystery [ˈmɪstəri] – rejtély(es)
interloper [ˈɪntələʊpə] – betolakodó
badger [ˈbædʒə] – borz
to be identified as [tə bi aɪˈdentɪfaɪd æz] – valamiként azonosítva lenni
raccoon [rəˈkuːn] – mosómedve
regular visitor [ˈreɡjʊlə ˈvɪzɪtə] – rendszeres látogató
homeowner [ˈhəʊməʊnə] – ház/lakás tulajdonos
tasty treat [ˈteɪsti triːt] – ízletes (jutalom)falat
creature [ˈkriːtʃə] – teremtmény
native [ˈneɪtɪv] – bennszülött, őshonos
however [haʊˈevə] – ennek ellenére, bár
to be confused by [tə bi kənˈfjuːzd baɪ] – valami által összezavarodva lenni
unusual [ʌnˈjuːʒʊəl] – szokatlan
striped tail [straɪpt teɪl] – csíkos farok
to report a sighting [tə rɪˈpɔːt ə ˈsaɪtɪŋ] – bejelenti valaminek az észlelését
local [ˈləʊkəl] – helyi
in turn [ɪn tɜːn] – viszont, pedig
staff [stɑːf] – személyzet
to decide  [tə dɪˈsaɪd] – elhatároz, dönt
to investigate [tu ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt] – nyomoz
to set up a camera [tə set ʌp ə ˈkæmərə] – felállít egy kamerát
to discover [tə dɪˈskʌvə] – felfedez
nightly  [ˈnaɪtli] – éjszakai
forager [ˈfɒrɪdʒ ɑː] – takarmánygyűjtő, fosztogató
to lure [tə lʊə] – csalogat
cage [keɪdʒ] – ketrec
titbits [ˈtɪtbɪts] – étel darabkák, falatok
escaped pet [ɪˈskeɪpt pet] – megszökött házi kedvenc
tame [teɪm] – szelíd
to be easy to handle [tə bi ˈiːzi tə ˈhændəl] – könnyen kezelhetőnek lenni
to be discovered [tə bi dɪˈskʌvəd] – felfedezve lenni
to be reared [tə bi rɪəd] – szoktatva/nevelve lenni valamihez
to come forward [tə kʌm ˈfɔːwəd] – előkerül, jelentkezik
permanent [ˈpɜːmənənt] – állandó

A mosómedvévé vált borz története

Egy somerset-beli kertben elhelyezett infravörös kamera fura éjjeli látogatót figyelt ki. A titokzatos betolakodót kezdetben egy borznak vélték, de mára kiderült, hogy a kis állat nem más, mint egy észak-amerikai mosómedve. Az állat rendszeres látogatója lett egy Taunton-i hátsó kertnek, miután a ház tulajdonosa finom falatokat hagyott kint a négylábú vendégnek a kertben.

A természetkedvelő Kenneth Beazly úgy gondolta, hogy a kis jövevény egy, a környéken is honos, borz lehet, ennek ellenére  – mivel az állat szokatlan csíkos farka kételyeket ébresztett benne – bejelentette az állat észlelését a helyi Borzvédelmi Csoportnak, akik viszont az esetet jelentették a Titkos Világ Állatvédelmi központ felé. A központ személyzete ez után úgy döntött, hogy kivizsgálják az esetet.

Miután felállítottak egy kamerát a kertben, meglepődve fedezték fel, hogy az éjszakai zsákmányvadász nem borz, hanem egy mosómedve. Egy kis csemege segítségével az állatot sikerült a ketrecbe csalogatniuk, és a hívatlan betolakodóról – akit egyébként Banditának neveztek el – most a központ személyzete gondoskodik. Úgy vélik, hogy Bandita egy szökött házi kedvenc lehet, mivel szelíd, és könnyen kezelhető. Az állatnak szerencséje volt, hogy felfedezték, mert ha továbbra is kézhez szoktatva nevelkedett volna, nagyon nehezen illeszkedett volna vissza a természetbe, és nehezen talált volna élelmet magának.

A Titkos Világ személyzete most azt reméli, hogy Bandita eredeti gazdája hamarosan előkerül,de ha nem, akkor ők találnak majd számára állandó otthont.