The name Iggy Pop has some weight behind it. If you remember Rock music from the late ’60s, then you may remember the wild antics of Iggy Pop as vocalist of the rock band The Stooges. The band itself was short-lived, but Iggy Pop went on to good success as a solo artist. He has often been referred to as The Godfather of Punk in relationship to the amount of influence his style of music has had on Punk music in general. For well over 50 years, Iggy Pop has entertained his fan-base with legendary performances and with more than 20 released albums. But another thing that Iggy Pop is known for is his feathered pal, Biggy Pop.
Biggy Pop Rocks
Biggy Pop is a Moluccan Cockatoo, a species endemic to the South Moluccas in east Indonesia. With the large bird’s gorgeous retractable salmon-colored crest, and its height approximate of around 2 feet, the bird is a definite but beautiful handful. Since 1989, the Moluccan Cockatoo as a species has been on the endangered list and can only be acquired via captivity breeding. Iggy Pop acquired Biggy Pop around 12 years ago as a companion.
The cockatoo was discovered by Iggy Pop in a small crate crammed in with chickens in a roadside café. Taking concern for the bird’s inevitable future, the singer rescued the cockatoo from a “peril of a bad future.” Not long afterwards, Iggy created an Instagram account for Biggy Pop that has now been followed by almost 90,000 Biggy Pop fans. Bolstered by the fame of Iggy Pop, the companion bird has delighted not only fans of the rock star, but also of fans of exotic birds.
“Pop” Duo Helps Animals in Australia
Recently, the tragic Australian fires is estimated to have killed more than three billion living creatures caught in the fiery path of the unrelenting flames. Of those, 180 million were birds from the regions. The Founder and CEO of Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital (and “big Iggy Pop fan”), Dr. Stephen Van Mil became a fan of Biggy Pop and invited the famed cockatoo to become a founding patron of the hospital (Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is located in New South Wales, a state of southeastern Australia). It is with hope that Biggy Pop brings greater awareness to the Australian plight with his widespread popularity.
Iggy Pop, speaking for his bird, had this to say of the invitation: “I’m a bird, and a real wild one, and I have many cockatoo cousins in Australia. I was so distressed to hear that 180 million birds died in the catastrophic bushfire crisis that killed over 3 billion native animals over the Australian summer. That really horrified me. I heard about the team of Australian veterinarians building Australia’s largest mobile wildlife hospital and I thought, ‘That is such a brilliant idea.’ So when they asked if I would be their founding Patron, I thought ‘Yeah, I’d love to connect with my bird sisters and brothers in the magical land of Oz.”
Here is a a touching video announcement by the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital that shows Biggy and Iggy Pop in a love-filled home, along with snippets of wildlife. If you wish to help with the efforts of the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital to support care and prevention, start with the patron page of the Hospital. But donations to help ease this sorrowful event are applicable in many ways in Australia. Let your concern speak to you in the ways that it will.
Biggy Pop closes with, “I hope to get down there one day with Iggy, when it’s safe for humans to travel again. I’d fly down there now, but my dad would really miss me. For now, I’m going to help spread the word via my Instagram page.” You can check out and follow Biggy Pop on his Instagram page.