Indian traders -- Firoj, Raja and Naushad -- were found with caged birds illegally trafficked from India. The birds belong to various species including munia, blossom headed parakeet, baya weaver and budgi gus. The raid was jointly carried out by Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) and Roots and Shoots Nepal with the consent of the District Forest Officer on May 18.[break]
“Some of the caged birds were suffering from serious health problems,” Manoj Gautam, the coordinator of Roots and Shoots Nepal told Republica. While the indigenous birds will be rehabilitated at Animal Nepal´s Chobar Animal Sanctuary, the non-indigenous species has been handed over to the Central Zoo.
Animal rights activists said that the raid proves once again that Nepal has become a hub of bird smuggling. “Each day, traders sell hundreds of birds in major cities of the country, making a mockery of laws that prohibit trade in birds,” an animal right activist said.
A recent report by BCN concluded that bird smuggling remains unchecked due to absence of a proper mechanism and points out that no bird trader has been brought to book in recent history.
On May 5, the recently established Anti Wildlife Crime Task Force rescued six birds of three different protected species.
Gautam said that the government´s wildlife breeding policy, introduced in 2003, has provided a loop hole for traders of CITES-listed species.
“The policy allows licensed traders to breed wild animals,” he said, adding, “They misuse the license to poach, breed and smuggle endangered animals.
“As the government´s monitoring mechanism is weak, the policy has provided a fertile ground for the illegal trade of the CITES-protected species,” he added.
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