Police in the Indonesian town of Fakfak has reported on an unordinary kind of smuggling on a ship docked in Indonesia’s Papua region. Sixty-four live black-capped lories were stuffed in plastic bottles, according to the policemen. Another 10 dead parrots were found Thursday morning.
Despite the seizure of such an unusual kind of smuggling, no arrests had been made so far. As police chief said on Friday, the parrots’ intended destination was unclear.
Fakfak police have found the birds after the vessel’s crew reported hearing noises coming from a large box. According to local police spokesman Dodik Junaidi, dozens of parrots stuffed into plastic water bottles.
Black-capped lories are a type of parrot native to New Guinea and nearby smaller islands. The vast jungles of Indonesia are home to more than 130 threatened bird species, according to wildlife trade watchdog Traffic, more than any other country except Brazil.
On Indonesia’s black market, the rare Australian palm cockatoo could be sold for as much as US$30,000. But there is also large-scale illegal trading of birds, which sees them sold in giant avian markets in Indonesia’s major cities or smuggled abroad.
Rare and exotic birds are usually poached and trafficked by smuggling gangs for sale as pets and status symbols.
