Indonesia Foils Smuggling of Over 1,200 Endangered Birds
Indonesian authorities have stopped an attempt to smuggle more than 1,200 endangered Javan white-eye birds, officials said on Sunday. The birds were found on Friday packed into eight cages at a port on Flores island in eastern Indones
TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com
Indonesian authorities have stopped an attempt to smuggle more than 1,200 endangered Javan white-eye birds, officials said on Sunday.
The birds were found on Friday packed into eight cages at a port on Flores island in eastern Indonesia. Sadly, 140 of them had already died.
The Javan white-eye is a popular songbird and is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is also protected by Indonesia’s environment and forestry ministry.The birds were being sent by ferry to Surabaya, a city on Java island.
"The person responsible has not yet been caught," said Joko Waluyo, a conservation official. "The total number of birds was 1,260, and 140 were dead."
The surviving birds have since been released back into the wild.
“This release helps protect the species and raise public awareness,” Joko added.
Poaching or trading protected animals in Indonesia can lead to up to 15 years in prison.
Illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction continue to threaten many species in the country, including orangutans and Sumatran elephants.
