Smuggler Caught With Heads of 353 African Gray Parrots
A new trade in parrot heads and tail feathers is adding to the pressure on the world’s wild population of African Grey Parrots, which is confined to the tropical forest area of West and Central Africa.
This is highlighted by a recent post by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) from Cameroon, which reports on a suspect arrested by game rangers who was found to be carrying 353 parrot heads and 2000 tail feathers. The suspect stated that he had collected the material for a witch doctor who was treating his mentally ill brother.
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The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a medium-sized parrot, endemic to the rainforests of West and Central Africa. The birds are highly valued for their beauty and ability to mimic humans - they cost a minimum of US$ 500 each.
Between 1994 & 2003 more than 450 000 parrots were captured and exported under controls that required a permit from a national authority to certify that the export was not detrimental to the species in the wild. However, this trade along with illegal capturing, exceeding of quotas and other demands resulted in considerable stress on the African Grey populations. As a result and following investigation, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recommended zero export quotas for several range states and decided to develop regional management plans for the species. In particular it recommended a two-year ban on the export of African Grey Parrots from Cameroon. It is interesting that the United States and the EU have banned the import of wild caught parrots since 1992 and 2007 respectively.
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This introduction of regulated trade does not effect the illegal export of African Grey Parrots, which is apparently quite well established although very inefficient. For example, it is believed that about 15,000 birds are taken out of the Lobeke region of Cameroon every year but that almost half of these die in transit due to poor handling.
The constraints on the movement of live parrots has probably contributed to this even more threatening trade in heads and feathers, which are more easily stored and transported. The market for these products in not yet understood. Balla Ottou, a leader in Cameroon’s wildlife management, thinks the heads are probably mainly exported to India and China and the tails to Nigeria. This needs to be clarified so that the authorities can develop counter strategies
Unfortunately this kind of trade is likely to flourish as the financial difficulties of the world bite deeper and the unemployed poor in Africa become more and more desperate.
Interestingly a search of ebay, shows that there is a substantial trade in the red feathers of the African Grey. The feathers appear to be used for craft and fly fishing. On 24/01/2009 there were 16 auctions for feathers with one seller parrotinthegarden having 125 feathers on auction, supposedly molted by his African Grey Pandora! These feathers sell for from 50c to just over a dollar each. Another person sells African Grey Tail feathers as “Pluma De Loro Africano” for religious purposes at US$ 7 each!
Photo credit: Michael Gwyther-Jones on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.
dear lord 353 what a number
Stories like this are so sad. It is our karmic and earthley duty to protect and nurture animals ect. It’s such a terrible loss. These birds are so intelligent and amazing. Also, PLEASE get this story out about these 2 russian circus elephants in Moscow. They have been chained up for 1 year in a cement room. They have been standing in one spot. The only movement they have is rocking back and forth. It’s hearbreaking. Please visit this website to hopefully raise awareness and help release them from such a terrible life. Read their story and watch the news video. Thank you.
russiatoday.com/features/news/36387
This is digusting. Sadly, with so many financial woes today, we are bound to see more of this, but the animals and birds of the world are paying the price. We humans needs to get smarter.
[...] Papagaio cinzento africano ameaçado Por um novo negócio de cabeças e penas da cauda. Gostava de saber se há alguma parte da vida selvagem de África e do Mundo que não esteja ameaçada. Eco Worldly. [...]
Just imagine the carnage, and that note about someone selling the tail feathers on e-bay! It has to start with the buyers, as if there is no market, there is no dead parrot. Money makes it all happen. What does India and China do with a parrot head anyway?
Thanks for your responses - it is really horrific. I was unable to find the use for the heads but am still looking. To me the worst thing about it is that now smugglers have found easier but still profitable ways of decimating the parrots.
DAVE - Thanks for letting me know what was going on with the Grey parrots. I have one and it hurts to know what happens to the ones in the wild.
Lucy
I don’t see what the problem is with selling feathers on ebay. I have birds and if I can get some idiot to pay for the feathers, it will just help pay for better care of my birds. Birds naturally loose their feathers about every 6 months, not all at once, but gradually. It is a waise of landfill space to throw them away. If a person can recycle the feathers that my birds molt, more power to them! It is a lot better than plucking the tail feathers and selling them at the local stores like is done with peacocks.
This is incredibly sickening. Man’s brutality knows no bounds. To kill intelligent and sensitive Grey parrots for their heads and tails is an atrocity.
As an african grey owner (not wild caught, bought from breeder in US), this is so sad to hear about his distant relatives in the wild. These beautiful and smart creatures don’t deserve this, then again no one deserves to be decapitated. As far as the ebay selling- yes, they do molt, it’s a part of their life cycles- like a dog shedding. However, I do see how it can be interpreted as “bad”. Although these sellers don’t realize it, they are indirectly creating a buyers market, which in that case needs a seller, and unfortunately the sellers obtain products in horrible ways.