For the last several years, Kim Hannah has rescued dozens of exotic birds through the non-profit she launched in her living room, but now, the Exotic Avian Sanctuary of Tennessee has outgrown her Hermitage home.
"We have about 40 birds right now, but there's about 20 to 25 on the waitlist to get in," Hannah said. "I'm just out of space. I can't take any more."
Hannah said there's a shockingly high number of people looking to re-home their parrot, often because people don't realize what they're getting into when they buy a bird.
"They can be very loud and very destructive," Hannah said. "And they can live to be 70 to 80 years old, so a lot of times they'll outlive their owners."
Hannah has shared her 1,900 square foot home with her rescued birds for years, but said she now needs a new space.
She purchased a five-acre lot on Old Lebanon Dirt Road and has been in the process of building a massive new facility on the property that'll allow her to care for more birds. The new space will feature separate rooms for different species that'll each connect into outdoor aviaries.
Right now, the skeleton of the building is in place, but Hannah is still raising funds to finish the drywall, electrical work, and more.
If you'd like to donate, visit the Exotic Avian Sanctuary of Tennessee's website.
Hannah hopes to move the birds into the new facility by June 1. In the future, she hopes to expand even further.
"We're probably going to build species-specific aviaries. Our first one will be a macaw aviary," Hannah said. "I want to be able to bring people out here and do educational speakers and tours... it's all about educating people."
