Customs officials at Nigeria’s Lagos international airport have seized over 1,600 parrots and canaries that were being transported to Kuwait without a permit. The cargo of live birds, including ring-necked parakeets and yellow-fronted canaries, was intercepted on July 31.
Nigeria, a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), has become a transit hub for wildlife trafficking.
The birds were not accompanied by a CITES permit and other required documents, according to Michael Awe, a customs controller at Lagos airport. “No illegal shipment will slip through the cracks under my watch,” Awe said, adding that the birds would be handed over to the National Parks Service. The customs authority is investigating those responsible for the illicit cargo.
This seizure highlights the ongoing issue of wildlife trafficking, with parrots, songbirds, and birds of prey being among the most trafficked species for the exotic pet trade and private collections.
