Twenty four rare baby parrots were rescued from the Miami International Airport after airport officials heard chirping from a man’s suitcase when the eggs began to hatch.
The birds, who officials found inside a cooler, reportedly were taken out of their nests in the Central American rainforest, according to news reports. Though the species of the birds was unknown at the time, experts have since discovered that the birds are red-lored and yellow-naped parrots, who are endangered in the wild.
While the perpetrator faces up to 20 years in prison, the birds are being cared for by experts at Rare Species Conservatory Foundation and are doing well, said the Foundation’s Director Paul Reillo.
“They are healthy. They are fully feathered now. Some are starting to fly around, so these tiny little eggs are now parrots,” Reillo said.
Reillo also explained to news how smugglers have targeted parrots, causing their populations to dwindle in the wild.
“What drives that is greed,” he told The Palm Beach Post. “There is no other way to describe it. These birds sell for a lot of money. They’re very charismatic. They’re good talkers, they’re very attractive, so they’re under tremendous demand in the caged-bird trade.”
These parrots are thinking, feeling individuals who deserve to live in the wild, where they can fly miles each day, form relationships with one another, and chew on branches and leaves. They’re not inanimate objects to be sold for profit.
You can help birds today by never purchasing one as a “pet” and reminding others to do the same. You can also check out our article on other ways you can take meaningful action for birds.
