Millionaire trafficking in Africa

posted in 03 Feb 2010

AFRICAN GREY PARROT

It is hard to believe that these things still happen. It is not only in Brazil that birds’ trafficking continues to be intense. In Africa it is a genocide that extinguishes a lot of species.

This week authorities from CameroonRepublic delivered to the LimbeWildlifeCenter more than one thousand grey parrots – the smartest parrot of the world – as a part of a illegal USD 1.5 million shipment that was confiscated at DoualaAirport in its way to supply Arabian countries.

This shipment, the biggest one confiscated in the last two years, was scheduled to be loaded on to Ethiopian Airlines with two destinations: Kuwait International Airport and Bahrain International Airport, according to the denounce of the African sanctuary promoted by PASA (Pan African Sanctuaries Alliance) yesterday.

Simone de Vries, director of Limbe Sanctuary, declared: “It is crazy. It makes you sick to see how the parrots are packed in the boxes, the weaker ones trampled by the strongest.” In fact, 47 parrots were found dead at the bottom of the crates upon arrival, and another 30 did not survive the first day.

In November, Limbe also received more than 300 parrots from a similar confiscation, many of which still reside at the sanctuary. Limbe staff members are currently scrambling to prepare cages and treat the parrots, many of which are injured or ill.

The bust was coordinated by the Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA), in coordination with Cameroonian law enforcement officials.

Dr. Pedro A Ynterian
President, GAP Project International

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Katai

Orangutan

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Date of birth: 02/07/1985
Origin: Germany
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil

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Chimpanzee

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Origin: Circus
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in memoriam

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