Thanks to your dedicated support, the World Parrot Trust and in-country collaborators have been making a change in the lives of imperiled parrots.
Emergency veterinary care for confiscated birds.
Life-saving supplies and infrastructure for rehabilitation centers.
Help for wildlife authorities to better manage confiscations.
Support for short and long-term care for parrots in recovery.
...AND MUCH MORE,
AS THE NEED ARISES.
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Parrots, some greatly endangered, make up roughly eighty percent of the wildlife trade in Bolivia, which increases the risk of local or even global extinction. The trade is especially hard on the chicks being trapped for sale as pets. Fortunately there are opportunities to stop the trade at different levels.
In 2017, in the town of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and with WPT support, construction began on the Bolivia Wild Parrots Conservation Center (CREA). Still being developed, the CREA will be well-equipped with rehabilitation aviaries, a handfeeding room/nursery for parrot chicks, a veterinary facility, and a food preparation kitchen. With thousands of parrots potentially making their way through the rehabilitation process – 700+ a year in Santa Cruz alone – a well-staffed facility of this kind was desperately needed.
The center will provide:
The center has already housed nearly 130 parrots of varying species. The WPT is hopeful that this new facility, which gives the authorities greater ability to confiscate trapped wild parrots in Bolivia, will help to deter this illegal trade. Over time, it will give thousands of parrots a second chance to thrive in the wild.
A long-time supporter contacted WPT in late 2016 with an unusual request: the rescue of over 175 large macaws and other parrots from a private breeder in the United Kingdom. The birds, kept for decades in an agricultural barn, had been lacking proper lighting, ventilation and basic veterinary care.
WPT took immediate action to assess the health and provide essential care for each bird. Placement options were limited, so the supporter generously offered to sponsor the development of a new, purpose-built facility to be run by the WPT. In early 2017, building began and, in record time, the spacious new aviaries were completed. WPT assembled a team of 20, including veterinarians, zookeepers, biologists and other compassionate volunteers. In an intensive 48-hour push, each bird was examined and screened for diseases, and transported from the old barn to the new facility.
The unique new facility has great potential to support parrot conservation and welfare in many ways. The rescued birds, some Critically Endangered in the wild, are recovering in the well-designed aviary complex with greatly improved husbandry. Our hope is that some of these birds will contribute to ongoing conservation efforts, others will become educational birds, and the remainder will live out their lives in comfort in fresh air, sunshine and with excellent care.
In late 2014, dozens of illegally smuggled Grey Parrots were confiscated by authorities in eastern Europe. All were recently wild-caught, and tragically many of the birds had already perished. The survivors were in terrible condition, all unable to fly. The birds were placed with the Lovech and Stara Zagora zoos in Bulgaria to await the decision of the Court, which would determine their status and eventual fate. The authorities determined that the shipment was illegal, and the parrots were entrusted to the WPT, which learned of the confiscation in February 2016, for future rehabilitation and possible release to the wild.
Dr. Melinda de Mul of the Central Veterinary Clinic in Sofia examined and treated the birds. By July 2016 the parrots were well enough to travel and 26 were transported, free of charge, by Lufthansa Cargo to Toulouse in France. This is where WPT had found partners in the organisers of Le Biome, a rescue, education and conservation facility due to be opened near Bordeaux. The parrots were housed together with access to outdoor flights. Later, more Greys that had been confiscated in Hungary were also taken to France to rehabilitate in a separate aviary. The majority of the birds are recovering well and WPT will continue to support them. At this point their future is not decided – it may be life in an aviary situation or release back to the wild in Africa.
