- More than 24 endangered Yellow-crested cockatoos were rescued by police
- Smugglers stuffed them in bottles to get through customs in Indonesia
- Critically endangered cockatoos can be sold for as much as £650 each
- Around 40 per cent of birds die during the illegal smuggling process
Published:
18:50 GMT, 4 May 2015
|
Updated:
10:31 GMT, 5 May 201563k
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More
than 24 critically endangered cockatoos were rescued by police after
being found stuffed in water bottles for illegal trade.
Smugglers
crammed the Yellow-crested cockatoos into empty bottles so they could
get through customs at Port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Indonesia.
But
Indonesian Police discovered the birds, which can be sold for as much
as £650 each, and cut them free so they could receive medical attention.
The
Yellow-crested cockatoo was listed as a critically endangered species
by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources in 2007.
More than 24 critically endangered cockatoos were rescued by police after being found stuffed in water bottles for illegal trade
Smugglers had crammed the
Yellow-crested cockatoos into empty bottles so they could get through
customs at Port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Indonesia
The
population is at a critical low due to deforestation and poaching and
recent studies suggest there may be less than 7,000 individuals
remaining.
More
than 10,000 parrots, including Lories and Cockatoos, are caught from
the wild in North Halmahera, Indonesia, each year to supply the domestic
and the international illegal wildlife trade.
Around 40 per cent of birds die during the illegal smuggling process.
So
for every 1,000 parrots caught from the wild, 400 birds died in vain,
during the poaching, transportation and trade, due to poor conditions
and cruel handling.
The Yellow-crested cockatoo was listed
as a critically endangered species by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 2007
Indonesian Police discovered the
birds, which can be sold for as much as £650 each, and cut them free so
they could receive medical attention
Most
parrots are prohibited from international commercial trade unless they
are captive bred or permitted by the exporting country.
Yellow-crested cockatoos also breed very slowly and lay eggs only once a year. They can produce only two eggs at a time.
Illegal
trapping continues in many areas including Rawa Aopa Watumohai National
Park, Buton and Kadatua Islands, but has reportedly been reduced
significantly on Sumba.
Large-scale
logging and conversion of forest to agriculture across its range has
exacerbated the decline, and the use of pesticides is a further
potential threat.
The white birds can range in size from 12 inch to about 27inch in length and present a beautiful yellow crest.
They are found in wooded and cultivated areas of East Timor and Indonesia's islands of Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas.
The population is at a critical low
due to deforestation and poaching and recent studies suggest there may
be less than 7,000 individuals remaining
Most parrots are prohibited from
international commercial trade unless they are captive bred or permitted
by the exporting country
Yellow-crested cockatoos also breed very slowly and lay eggs only once a year. They can produce only two eggs at a time
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