Birds Rescued From Traffickers Released in Puerto Vallarta Vive Puerto Vallarta
go to original June 13, 2022

Communities in Southern Mexico are Protecting Endangered Military Macaws (CGTN America)

Just as Puerto Vallarta is a tropical paradise, it is also one of the places where most wildlife species are trafficked; a total of 40 were released in the botanical garden of Vallarta.

As explained by Rohini Velasco, president of Conservation of Wonderful Species of Banderas Bay, A.C. (CEMBAB), Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes are the favorite places for traffickers to place nets and capture species that are traded as if they were domestic animals.

Approximately five months ago around 60 orange-fronted parakeets were rescued, who were illegally captured and had their feathers cut to prevent them from flying; 40 specimens were released in the botanical garden of Puerto Vallarta, a protected natural area with diverse species of flora and fauna, which guarantees that all of them can be successfully reintegrated to their habitat.

Rohini Velasco, president of CEMBAB, explained that the specimens were captured at an adult age, so handling and transporting them causes stress and other conditions that can lead to their death. He specified that in this operation, 60 specimens were recovered, of which 40 survived. "The percentage of mortality in the traffic, collection, transportation, purchase and sale, more than 80 percent die in this process; we were able to recover more than 40 of the 60 specimens that survived.

The trafficking of birds, mainly parrots, parakeets and macaws, is a federal crime, which is comparable to human and drug trafficking; however, it is not taken as seriously as other crimes, since there is a great demand for these species by people who like to keep them in captivity.

It should be noted that many of the birds are stolen from their nests a few hours after hatching and more than 80 percent of those captured die before someone buys them.

Therefore, the best way to eradicate this federal crime is to stop buying birds obtained illegally, snatched from their nests and literally kidnapped from their habitat.

See the original at Vive Puerto Vallarta

Related: Mexico's Parrot Trade Exposed (Defenders of Wildlife)

This article was translated from Spanish using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

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