EXPOSED:  PROTECTED INDONESIAN WILD SPECIES SMUGGLED INTO GERMANY, KUWAIT AND KOREA

The black market for endangered wildlife is thriving in Indonesia.  The UK Representative of ProFauna Indonesia, a wildlife conservation society, urges EU governments to tighten the checking at their entry ports of all crates containing animals imported from overseas, as these may conceal species other than those legally imported.  Smugglers of exotic and protected species use dogs, cats, reptiles or monkeys to conceal other animals secreted in hidden compartment of their cages.

During a recent investigation, ProFauna exposed that many threatened and endangered species are still being smuggled out of Indonesia, some ending up in Germany.  The most popular species are exotic parrots such as the Papuan black capped lorys (Lorius lory), yellow (Cacatua galerita) and sulphur crested (Cacatua sulphurea) cockatoos and various species of eclectus, beautiful brightly coloured parrots which are native to Indonesia.  Many are listed in Appendix 1 of CITES, as globally threatened and protected species.

There is a current EU ban on importation of birds.  The H5N1 avian flu, which affects mostly poultry in Asia, has now reached Turkey.  However demands from international enthusiasts for exotic birds or wild specimens continues.  Dealers denied that the trade in illegal wild birds is a health hazard.  Many Indonesian wild animals are now endangered, some are facing extinction.  The primary cause is habitat loss due to deforestation, supplying global hardwood demands, land clearing for agro business and mining, but hundreds of thousands animals are also trapped each year to supply illegal exotic pet markets, for human consumptions or for international wild specimen collectors.

ProFauna’s investigator penetrated the criminal network of the illegal wildlife trade and uncovered that traders from Pramuka bird market in Jakarta construct special secret bottom compartments in each animal crate to smuggle protected exotic birds.  To the untrained eye, the crate seemingly only contains imported dogs, reptiles or monkeys, but under the false flooring, live exotic birds are well hidden. 

In a crate enough to contain one Doberman, up to 25 black headed Papuan lorys or cockatoos can be jammed together and smuggled in a hidden bottom drawer.  The crate is well padded inside.  Birds are confined in this tight space and their beaks are taped shut to prevent them from making any sound on the long flights they will undergo; they are deprived of water and food during their long journey.  “It is an outrage to see how cruel the trade is and how much the animals suffer!,” said one investigator.  “It’s no surprise to see that 40% die before reaching the markets”. 

Traders in Pramuka bird market smuggle protected species regularly to Kuwait and South Korea.  They even use monkeys as camouflage to smuggle lorys (parrots) to Germany.  For shipments to Korea they use dogs to disguise the birds.  It is understood that Indonesian customs and airport authorities at Sukarno-Hatta International airport were bribed by the traders to allow the cargo to be loaded up onto the aircrafts.  Airport authorities at the receiving countries similarly “cooperate” with the smugglers of that countries.

To avoid detection dealers keep all sorts of endangered and rare species at various locations, ranging from orang utans to Papuan birds of paradise.  Once they trust the potential buyers, they will show their collection.  A pair of live male and female Cendrawasih, Papuan bird of paradise (paradisaea minor) and a pair of Wilson’s bird of paradise (Cicinnurus respublica) were amongst many protected parrots shown to the investigators, who posed as serious overseas buyers.  These species are becoming very difficult to find in the wild, because of excessive poaching.  Many birds of paradise are killed and sold as taxidermic mounted displays.

Under cover video footage, showing a live male Cendrawasih or Papuan bird of paradise (paradisaea minor) being kept by the trader

Papuan bird of Paradise is a protected species and is a highly sought after specimen

This poached female Cendrawasih or Papuan bird of paradise (paradisaea minor) is being hidden in “safe” location by dealers

Thousands of poached species are also imported each year by dealers in Singapore, Taiwan, Pakistan, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Russia and Japan.  Illegal wildlife traders in some importing countries hold the stock temporarily for re-export to other European countries or the USA using new documents changing the origin of these birds as allegedly captive born and bred in their own countries.  Currently there is no way to prove if such animals are captive bred or caught in the wild.

Indonesia is one of the world richest countries in biodiversity and has many species of unique wild animals, including lorys, cockatoos, eclectus, orangutans, gibbons, Sumatran tigers, sun bears, all of which are highly sought after by international illegal collectors and enthusiasts.  The country is now experiencing an environmental and conservation crisis in preserving the threatened and critically endangered species. 

ProFauna launched a national campaign in Sep 2005 to demand that the Indonesian government take action to enforce the law to stop this crime.  It is hope that there is an inter-governmental cooperation to curb this trade.