Last September, Environmental Congolese Authority (ICCN) confiscated 523 grey parrots (the bird that is considered to be the most intelligent one) at the airport. They were ready to be sent to a bird poacher in Singapore, with no official documentation. The birds were sent, in emergency status, to Lwiro Great Primates Sanctuary, which had to improvise the support to the large quantity of birds, considering this is not the sanctuary’s area. Apart from all the effort, 33 birds ended up dying, as long as they were very badly packed in precarious cages.

On November 22, Congo Environment Ministry surprisingly entered at the sanctuary and seized the 490 survivors, put them on the cages they were found into and sent them to the airport of the capital of the country, Kinshasa, returning them to the poacher who was dealing the operation with dealers in Singapore.

Both PASA – Pan African Sanctuaries Alliance and organization World Parrot Trust (WPT), which worked together in this rescue, spoke out against this violent, opportune and illegal action of the Congolese Ministry. The Government put in risk the lives of several parrots that were already recovered and ready to be released in nature.

Both organizations sent communications to CITES’ authorities in Congo and in Singapore about the imminent arrival of this “shipment”, which does not have official permission to leave or enter in both countries.

Grey parrots are being caught in the Woods very quickly, what means less 21% individuals of the species per years and can result in their disappearance on the wild in a few years. Unless urgent measurements are taken both in Africa and in the countries that receive the birds, including pet shops that sell them all over the world (and also in Brazil).

Executive Director of PASA, Doug Cress, declared: “PASA is outraged at the manner in which the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has removed these parrots from a PASA member sanctuary. We were given no warning and no cause. We rescue and rehabilitate wildlife to conserve important species – not make them well so that dealers might get rich. We condemn this action, and will do anything we can to keep this shipment from leaving Africa.”

Dr. Pedro A Ynterian
President, GAP Project International

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