For those of you who watch Animal Defenders with Heather Rowe on Channel 13 KOLD, you saw us air a story on the cruel practices inflicted on "swap meet" parrots.
These birds are usually White-fronted Amazons, a species that was common in Mexico (until recently). The birds are captured by a variety of painful and stressful techniques. Their heads are dunked in bleach, and dye is used to alter the natural coloration. I have seen unweaned babies and old adults treated in this unbelievably cruel way. They are sold in Mexico or smuggled across the border (again, in horrific conditions), then sold on the street, in flea markets, or swap meets here in the USA.
Apart from the individual suffering these parrots endure, there are many reasons this is a dangerous and morally reprehensible activity. 1)These birds are ALWAYS ill, and may carry disease that can sicken human beings. 2)They WILL introduce diseases into the legitimate pet and poultry trade. 3)The customer who buys these birds at a swap meet is defrauded and led to believe they are more valuable than they are. 4)The customer is unwittingly made part of a smuggling and cruelty operation.5)It is illegal to import any parrot into the USA for sale, and it is a felony charge if caught. 6)Native parrot populations all over the world are in serious decline, and Mexico tops the list of eco-insensitive countries. The pet trade has decimated formerly common species such as the White-fronted Amazon.
Parrot smuggling is the #2 illegal money-making business in Mexico, second only to the drug trade. US Customs is severely understaffed and over-worked with homeland security issues, and parrot smuggling is low on their priority list. The USDA ad US FWS also suffer from chronic governmental neglect. Local animal welfare agencies and organizations are woefully ignorant or ignore problems with birds. In short, there are few options for control, enforcement or punishment of the acts.
It is up to us as individuals to stop this illegal and horrible trade.
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