African grey parrots had been the trophy prize for many
smugglers in 2010. They were wanted for many reasons: they are intelligent, they
have the power to impersonate human voices effortlessly, they have extensive lives,
and they can be easily disciplined. In the year 2010, it was discovered that
108 of these birds were held in captivity. They suffered many hardships,
ranging from being stuffed into dog cages, roughly handled by humans, and living a life that lacked their culture and environment. These birds were stacked like
boxes, one on top of another. When these birds were found, researchers thought
it would be best to quarantine them and incorporate them into zoo life, but over
half of them died due to stress from constantly being handled and touched by
human hands. A non-profit organization called the World Parrot Trust has
stepped up to help these animals return to their native home and they organized
a sanctuary in Uganda for these birds. About a month ago, the grey parrots that
were strong enough were officially released to fly into that sanctuary. Sadly,
only seventeen of them were able to make the journey, as many had died off. More birds are being rehabilitated so they can also make the journey, but for now, they are just being held in the zoo. I
personally believe that not only these animals, but all animals, should be safe
from illegal trading. Smugglers pick animals that are quite rare and hard to
find, often making it difficult on the species. These parrots are being taken
from their home and habitat, stuffed in a small cage that they can barely move
around in, and are held in captivity. People need to step up and raise
awareness on this issue so that it can be fixed. While this problem seems
rather minor to the daily world of politics and wars, it would be nice if
something can help, or even save this species. Smuggling cannot suddenly
disappear over time as people make money and profits off of it. If it was known that these animals are in danger and more security is offered to stop the smugglers, maybe the
lives of many can be saved.
Source: ENN
I was just reading this article too. It is terrible that animals, including these parrots, are brutalized and killed because of the illegal animal trade. While the article treats this as a success because some parrots survived, this would not have been an issue had the birds not been captured and smuggled in the first place. You are right; people need to become more aware of this issue if it is ever going to be dealt with or solved in any way. You said that the issue is small compared to politics, but if people can be educated about the horrors of the illegal trade of animals, many might make stronger efforts to end it. This could make it become an important political issue, thus bringing this problem into the spotlight.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for those poor birds being treated so badly. People should treat animals with respect because they are important to the environment. I agree with you and I cannot stand animal poachers. One reason is because they take what does not belong to them and they destroy or abuse it to make money off of it. They also go against the law without a care in the world. I am glad that the birds are getting help and getting back into their natural environment. They deserve it after all they have been through. It is sad that some of them didn’t get to make it to the sanctuary though.
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