Saving the Scarlet Macaw

"Hurry up Enrico, we will be late to catch a glimpse of it before it leaves." Ms. Taylor, I'm going as fast as I can with all of this camera equipment. We should get to the spot within minutes". Enrico is carrying two bags and a tripod through dense bushes and trees. The forest is so hot and humid that the sweat of Enrico glistens as it falls down his shirt. Ms. Taylor is far ahead of Enrico and her heart is pumping due to the excitement of seeing the scarlet macaw again. She always gets anxious when she is about to see the Macaw. Pamela Taylor is an ornithologist studying birds of many species for years at the bio parque in Brazil. She has been watching this Macaw in the rainforest for months. Pamela watches it intently and videos it in silence. She is working on a project documentary to save the Scarlet Macaw from extinction. It's estimated that there are 17 species of Macaws out in the wild, some have become extinct. The Scarlet Macaw is becoming extinct with an estimated 50,000 in the wild in Central and South America. Pamela and Enrico reach the spot and Pamela pulls out her binoculars just a few yards near the tallest tree in the forest where the macaw rests. It's near the river where the water is rushing through the forest. The Macaw flies overhead and arrives at the tree. The Scarlet Macaw majestic in its beauty opens its wings to display its bold yellow red and blue feathers. Pamela says to Enrico " it is so beautiful". The Scarlet Macaw starts to move its head as if listening attentively. The Macaw starts to say "Enrico, take out the video" over and over again. Pamela is amazed that the Macaw had been listening to them for months and could repeat what was heard from yards away. Enrico quietly pulls out the video camera and zooms in to shoot footage. The Macaw remains in the tree about half an hour before flying away. Pamela quickly asks Enrico "did you get the footage". Enrico replies "yes I did Ms. Taylor". " Good, let's go along the river to find more Macaws in the trees". But as they traveled down towards the river to find more Macaws, they hear voices of men walking through the forest. The voices are getting closer, so they decide to hide. Pamela and Enrico suspect that the men in the forest are poachers. Probably, searching for macaws and their eggs to sell on the black market. It's illegal to capture a macaw in the wild for the pet trade but they can be bred. After the voices seem to go farther away, they decide to continue for about another hour to search for Macaws. Pamela and Enrico do not find any macaws along the river so they go back to the bio parque. Pamela tells Enrico they will continue to video the macaw tomorrow at the same spot. "Okay, replies Enrico. They arrive at the bio parque where Pamela arrives at the aviary part of the zoo park to see Juliet, a Hyacinth macaw believed to be the last macaw in Rio. There are macaws that are already extinct. Pamela meets up with a group of zoo visitors to give them a tour around the aviary. After she finishes, the bio parque's manager Craig Piniero comes over to her to inquire about the documentary. Craig is a thin man in his forties with balding hair. Craig runs the zoo park like a business rather than a bio parque which causes friction between them. The bio parque is sponsoring the documentary on the macaw and he wanted to know how it was going. Pamela reassures Craig "the documentary is going well, I am highlighting the plight of the Scarlet Macaw ". "Can I see the footage you have so far?" asks Craig. Pamela expresses her desire to show the footage as a completed project. " I only have one more piece of footage to take of the Scarlet Macaw and I should be finished editing the documentary. I have not just footage of the Macaw but interviews with leading biologists and other ornithologists". Craig replies "that sounds good, I'll be anxious to see the completed project". Craig nervously says as he hurries off to his office. Pamela says " just what I need more pressure". Pamela grabs her bag and walks with it across her chest tapping her finger pensively on the bag full of her research for the documentary. Pamela walks hurriedly towards her car and drives home. As soon as she arrives she opens her bag to take out all of her research notes and starts to narrate her documentary. She carefully edits it injecting the interviews along with her dialogue and her carefully worded script. Pamela is adamant about saving the Scarlet Macaw, she really hopes that this documentary will bring attention to the impending extinction of the Scarlet Macaw. Pamela starts to think about when she worked at the Chicago Zoo and she couldn't save the aviary birds from a terrible fire that broke out. Many of the birds died in the fire despite Pamela trying to get them out as the smoke thickened in the air. Pamela found it hard to breathe and she had to leave many birds behind in their aviary cages. She still recalls this day with deep regrets and culpability. She wanted to save them all but she couldn't. Pamela never quite got over that day so she decided to leave the states and work at the bio parque when she was offered the position. Pamela working on the documentary project has given her hope and purpose again, which was lost at the Chicago Zoo. The next day Pamela and Enrico set off to the forest at the same spot to wait for the Scarlet Macaw which Pamela has affectionately named Nikki. After arriving at the spot, Nikki shows up on time and Pamela and Enrico start to shoot video footage. Pamela hears people approaching in the brush, Enrico and Pamela hide. There are about three men with ropes and guns, they were following the Macaw to see where it would stop. They quietly watch the Macaw and aim their guns at it. Pamela is anxious to stop them but Enrico stops her and says these men are dangerous if they catch them they could get killed. Pamela has that hopeless feeling like she had at the Chicago Zoo. The men aim their tranquilizer guns at the Macaw and shoot and they miss. The Scarlet Macaw flies high and far above them. Pamela is relieved and happy. One of the men tries to climb the tree to find the nest in hopes of finding eggs. After 15 minutes the man reaches the top of the tree and is unhappy to find the nest empty. After climbing down, the three men leave. Pamela and Enrico say to themselves that was a close call. "Nikki the Macaw is still free and that's all that matters, "says Pamela. Pamela and Enrico report the three men to the State Police stating that they are often in the woods. After leaving the police station, Pamela heads to the bio parque to complete her documentary and add the final footage of the Scarlet Macaw. After finishing and viewing the documentary on her computer she decides to show Craig and her fellow co-workers. Pamela gets good comments and reviews from Craig and her co-workers. Pamela gets news that the State Police arrested the three men in the forest so they are no longer a threat. After the day's events, Pamela decides to go to the spot in the forest to see the Scarlet Macaw. Nikki arrives at the spot and this time swoops down and perches herself next to Pamela on a tree branch. Nikki looks at Pamela as if to say thank you for trying to save her. Pamela understood and said " Your welcome and you deserve to be free".