But the couple could not leave without their two lemurs and flock of birds — 275 parrots, including some of the world's rarest.So a rescue mission — dubbed “Operation Noah's Ark” — was launched Tuesday to catch, cage and ferry the birds off the island, as a condition to persuade Peratino and Stepp to leave the island.So the kind of help we've gotten has been invaluable.”Many of the birds were rescued from homes that could no longer care for them.Bryan Stern, the founder and leader of Project Dynamo, which assembled four boats for the mission, said his team has rescued at least six dogs, three cats and, before Tuesday's massive rescue, three birds.But by chance he came across the Project Dynamo team, who have been volunteering to help rescue people stranded by floodwaters and damaged roads."