Monday, August 14, 2023

Today's News: Rescuing Maui Pets



I was going to do a post about Poilievre and his stumbles tonight, but then I saw posts about rescues of animals in Hawaii -- and they are so much more important right now. 
“I’m thankful for the people who made it out alive,” said Ms. Wong, who is also the chef and owner of the Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu, “but an entire town has burned down.” 
The Pioneer Inn was known for a parrot, Alex, who regaled guests. He made it out alive, Ms. Wong said, “but again, there are thousands of pets who didn’t.” 
Ms. Wong is now working out of the University of Hawaii’s Maui campus with World Central Kitchen, the global nonprofit organization founded by the chef José Andrés, as well as local business owners to prepare meals for evacuees.
The Maui Bird Conservation Center, a sanctuary for endangered bird spieces, was defended by a staffer and a neighbour until firefighters could get there. 
... The center houses about 40 ‘akikiki, a native songbird, and about 40 ‘alalā, also known as the Hawaiian crow. ‘Alalā are extinct in the wild, and only about five ‘akikiki are known to remain there. The only other members of these species live at the center’s sister facility on the Big Island. 
... As Ms. Pribble watched the fire in the distance, she felt reassured that it was in the forest, where a bed of thick pine needles seemed to be making it hard for the flames to spread. For a time, they actually reduced in size. 
But she grew increasingly worried as fire approached grasses closer to a road. 
If it crossed, she thought, the grasses on the 46 acre property would provide ample fuel. 
 ...“All of a sudden, basically, the fire jumped the road and it was on our property,” she said. 
 Ms. Pribble ran inside to get two fire extinguishers to douse the flames, but she worried it would happen again. She raced back in for more extinguishers and a garden hose. She texted the forest manager saying she needed assistance. “We just went out and kept it under control the best that we could, just so it didn’t cross back over the road, until the state firefighters could arrive.” 

Here's another post: Checking several of the posts at X (twitter) tonight, I see conspiracy theories by the dozen are already springing up all over the hashtags about the Maui fires. 
Sigh!
But if you are wondering how to help the real Hawaii, you can follow news updates at the Honolulu Star Advertiser, and at a new facebook page Maui Fires Pets Help Group set up by the Maui Humane Society.
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