Cockatoos Stuffed In Plastic Water Bottles For Illegal Trade
More than 24 endangered yellow-crested cockatoos were recently rescued after being stuffed in plastic water bottles for illegal trade. Indonesian Police discovered the birds crammed into empty bottles so they could get through customs at Port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Indonesia. Smugglers can fetch up to 650 pound for one single cockatoo.
This has been an ongoing issue in Indonesia where it is reported that over 10,000 parrots, including Lorikeets and Cockatoos, are caught from the wild in North Halmahera, each year to supply the domestic and the international illegal wildlife trade.
According to Daily Mail, “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.”
Yellow-crested cockatoos breed very slowly and lay eggs only once a year. In 2007 cockatoos were listed as a critically endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
