The Biggest Loser: A Sausage-Eating Bird

Kookaburras are known for making a call that sounds like human laughter. But there was nothing funny about one kookaburra that frequented a park in Sydney, Australia. Unfortunately, the bird put on weight from park goers feeding her sausages during their barbecues. The avian ballooned to an incredible weight of 1.2 pounds, which is almost 40% heavier than normal fully grown kookaburras. The bird’s weight prevented it from flying, which meant it couldn’t keep itself safe from attacking predators. Luckily, a distressed bird lover rescued the kookaburra and took it to Taronga Zoo at Mosman in Sydney where the bird immediately was put on a strict and appropriate diet. “The kookaburra’s been down at the rehabilitation aviary for a couple of weeks on a special ‘lite n’ easy’ diet designed by our bird keeper,” the wildlife nurse said. “The bird will also undergo a rigorous exercise regime as many as three times a day with a personal trainer. In fact, we’ve built a bird gym.”