PREVIEW

**VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE**

BY MARK WORGAN

South African authorities are looking after a giant brood of tiny endangered parrots after arresting an alleged wildlife trafficker accused of attempting to illegally export 50 bird eggs from the country.

The 50-year-old Thai national was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on 20 August after the eggs were allegedly found concealed in a homemade incubator bag carried as hand luggage.

Preliminary investigations suggest the eggs came from parrot species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister David Maynier said the arrest highlighted the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

“The success of this operation demonstrates the need for a joint approach to enforcing environmental law," he said. "The complex criminal networks that support illegal wildlife trafficking can only be challenged by a coordinated defence of our natural heritage.”

The arrest follows a similar incident at the airport on 16 July, when a 23-year-old Thai national was intercepted while allegedly attempting to smuggle 418 parrot eggs concealed in two homemade incubator bags.

Investigations into both cases are continuing.
Authorities say the cases underline the increasing sophistication of transnational wildlife trafficking networks and the need for coordinated, intelligence-led enforcement.

The illegal collection and trafficking of parrot eggs poses a serious threat to wild bird populations and raises significant animal welfare concerns, authorities say.

Eggs are often hidden in improvised incubation devices and transported in conditions that can severely affect their viability and endanger developing embryos and hatchlings.

The export of specimens from CITES-listed species is strictly regulated and requires permits from both the exporting and importing countries.
Maynier also praised the support provided by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), particularly staff at the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria, who have been incubating the seized eggs and providing specialist care to the hatchlings.

Many of the rescued eggs have successfully hatched, with the chicks now receiving intensive veterinary and husbandry care to improve their chances of survival.