In pictures: Macaws offer feathered 'therapy' to suffering Venezuelans

SUMMARY

Long described as a bright spot in a city that has been in decline for years, Caracas' macaws have become a mechanism of escape from the daily grind of finding potable water, struggling with collapsing internet and avoiding crime-ridden streets. The simple contact with the increasingly people-friendly macaws, some varieties of which are threatened by animal trafficking, has become an alternative to pricey movie outings or trips to the beach that used to help people unwind.

By ReutersJul 18, 2019 10:43:53 AM IST (Published)

Looking for an escape from the daily realities of crisis-ridden Venezuela, Carmen Borges finds solace receiving visitors on the roof of her Caracas apartment building every morning: groups of blue and gold macaws that arrive at daybreak. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero

The simple contact with the increasingly people-friendly macaws, some varieties of which are threatened by animal trafficking, has become an alternative to pricey movie outings or trips to the beach that used to help people unwind. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero

A 2015 study found that Caracas has between 200 and 300 blue and yellow macaws, which are believed to have come from the jungles of southern Venezuela, according to biologist Maria Gonzalez of Simon Bolivar University. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero

A macaw takes off from Carmen Borges' head at a rooftop of a building in Caracas. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero

Macaws fly over the city of Caracas, Venezuela. Long described as a bright spot in a city that has been in decline for years, Caracas'macawshave become a mechanism of escape from the daily grind of finding potable water, struggling with collapsing internet and avoiding crime-ridden streets. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero