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FAKFAK, Indonesia: Dozens of parrots crammed into plastic water bottles were discovered on a boat docked in Indonesia’s Papua region, authorities said on Friday (November 20).
Fakfak city police said the ship’s crew reported hearing noises coming from a large box where 64 live black-headed lorises and 10 other dead birds were found Thursday morning.
Black-headed lorises are a type of parrot native to New Guinea and the smaller islands nearby.
“The ship’s crew told us that they suspected animals were inside the box because they heard strange noises,” said local police spokesman Dodik Junaidi.
So far no arrests have been made and the intended fate of the birds is unclear, he added.
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Indonesia’s vast jungles are home to more than 130 threatened bird species, according to wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC, more than any other country except Brazil.
But there is also large-scale illegal trade in birds, which sees them being sold at giant bird markets in major Indonesian cities, or smuggled abroad.
Black-headed lorises are a type of parrot native to New Guinea and the smaller islands nearby. (Photo: AFP / BROCHURE)
Exotic birds are generally hunted and trafficked by smuggling gangs to sell as pets and status symbols.
Certain species of birds, like the Australian palm cockatoo, can sell for up to $ 30,000 on the black market.
In 2017, Indonesian authorities found about 125 exotic birds stuffed inside sewers during a wildlife smuggling raid.
