Parrot Trafficking

The Hyacinth Macaw, an enormous blue parrot, is easily one of the most iconic birds in the Pantanal region. However, like a third of all part species in Latin America, the Hyacinth Macaw has become endangered for two primary reasons: habitat loss and illicit wildlife trade. Because the macaw is such a spectacle, there is a high demand for it as a pet, which gives poorer inhabitants of its range a motivation to smuggle them for sale at local or international markets.

Smugglers generally target parrot nests, which they raid once the chicks have hatched. They often fell the trees in which the nests are located, exacerbating deforestation in the area. The smugglers then transport the chicks to nearby cities or even further destinations by stuffing them in thermoses, stockings, toilet paper tubes and hubcaps. Up to three quarters of the birds die of stress, disease, asphyxiation, dehydration or crushing during this process. While some of the birds do make it across international borders, the majority remains within its original nation and is sold at local markets to private citizens or hotels that hope to domesticate them. In Brazil, such tamed wild animals are referred to as “xerimbabos,” meaning “something beloved.” Surveys suggest that 30% of Brazilians have kept xerimbabos.

There are both national laws and international agreements in place that forbid the trafficking of wild animals. However, enforcement is too limited to deal with the tens of thousands of birds trafficked annually. However, anti-smuggling initiatives, such as developing ecotourism industries to employ those who might otherwise resort to smuggling, are attempting to incentivize wildlife protection.

Sources:

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22685516/0

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/165

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/wildlife-trafficking-149079896/

-Matt Benjamin