We would like to announce the arrival of 50 African Grey parrots at our Kiwa Centre in the UK. They are part of two groups that were confiscated in Hungary and in Bulgaria in 2014. Following the legal proceedings that assigned ownership of the parrots to the two governments, the WPT was asked to assist in their relocation.
In 2016, the birds were sent temporarily to France, at a facility owned by Guy Colomet to whom we are grateful for having looked after them. When the Kiwa Center in the UK was ready the Hungarian and Bulgarian authorities requested that the Greys be moved there in the care of the WPT. The French and UK authorities supported the move, and this morning the parrots finally arrived at Kiwa.
These were wild parrots captured in Africa and then smuggled into Europe. Because they were confiscated by authorities in Hungary and Bulgaria, they have always been and remain the responsibility of those governments. The WPT and our partners have been providing guidance and support to ensure the birds are receiving the best possible husbandry at each stage of this process. The birds therefore never belonged to zoos or organizations or individuals in Bulgaria, Hungary, France, or now the UK, we have all simply played supporting roles to ensure their survival, rehabilitation, and hopefully one day, repatriation back to Africa.
We are committed to returning parrots seized from trade to the wild wherever possible, working with many local partners to achieve this, and basing our decisions on a careful assessment of what is in the best interest of the birds and also the wild populations, taking into account the IUCN guidelines. You can read about some of our release stories of confiscated Greys at these links:
https://issuu.com/worldparrottrust/docs/wild-flights-ps_25_4_winter_13
https://issuu.com/worldparrottrust/docs/flyfree_-_grey_parrots_ps_23_4_nov1
https://issuu.com/worldparrottrust/docs/a_long_walk-_patience_the_grey_parr
https://issuu.com/worldparrottrust/docs/flyfree_grey_parrots_ps_24_2_may_12
Right now they settling into the inside part of their new aviary, with natural perching, ropes to climb and plenty of room to fly. They are adapting well and are starting to explore their surroundings. The feeding tables have a wide range of foods and fresh enrichment items will be introduced daily.
We look forward to opening the hatch to the much larger outdoor flight area! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this video of their antics as they explore their new surroundings.
Grey Parrots at Kiwa Centre, UK on Vimeo.
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