Although discrimination isn’t as severe as it used to be, we still have a long way to go until everyone is accepted for who they are. Unfortunately, people are still sometimes excluded from social circles or are treated differently because of how they look. Some people never bother to consider someone else’s personality, and they instead just judge them by their appearance.
This behavior isn’t limited to just humans. Many animals are abandoned because they look a little different from their siblings. Even if the animal is perfectly healthy, some pet owners decide to abandon them if they don’t look completely normal. We see this with puppies and kittens, but even other pets, like birds, can be the victim of this discrimination.
A short video featuring an adorable green parakeet has gone viral recently. The parakeet, whose name is Whipper, has a genetic mutation that causes his feathers to be thin and wispy. His feathers cover most of his face, and his beak barely peeks out through all the fluff. Despite his unusual appearance, he is perfectly healthy.
Whipper was abandoned when he was born because he looked different from most parakeets. Fortunately, Julie Hayward rescued him and is now raising him in Winton, New Zealand. The video introducing Whipper to the world has now received more than 2.9 million views. Over 5,000 people have commented on the video expressing their support for Julie and her bird. Most people seem to find the parakeet very sweet and cute, and they are outraged that he was abandoned at birth.
Whipper’s story is a great reminder that it’s impossible to judge someone based only off of appearances. Someone can look slightly different and still be happy and healthy, and excluding or abandoning someone just because of their appearance is cruel.