Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre has released 119 African grey parrots that had been caught up in a wildlife trafficking trade.
World Animal Protection has applauded the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre for rewilding parrots caught up in the cruel wildlife trade that had been trafficked from Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The 122 wild birds were seized in April 2022 near Bunagana area at the border of Uganda and DRC after enforcement agencies who were acting on intelligence. However, three of them were dead and the remaining 119 were taken to the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre for close monitoring and rehabilitation before being released into the wild.
"The enforcement agencies swiftly intervened to protect the birds from the clutches of illegal wildlife trade. The African grey parrots are the most traded wildlife species to feed the inhumane per trade industry and we applaud their release back to nature," Edith Kabesiime, the Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection said.
Of the 119 parrots from Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, 55 are to be released to the wild at Kibale National Park.
In 2016, the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) outlawed the international trade in African Grey Parrots. However, trade is still allowed for the parrots raised in CITES-registered captive facilities.