Grey Parrot Trafficking Mission

Psittacus erithacus is included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 1973). This includes the species that are most endangered among the species of fauna and flora included in the CITES Appendices (see Article II, paragraph 1 of the Convention). These species are in danger of extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species, except when the import is for non-commercial purposes (see Article III), for example, for scientific research. The Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has suspended exports of the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, its main marketer, due to the risk of extinction of the species due to its capture for illegal sale. The CITES Convention ensures that international trade in wild animal and plant specimens does not constitute a threat to the survival of the species, and urges signatory countries to cooperate internationally to return confiscated live animals to their exporting country in its Article VIII. However, this rarely happens because international cooperation on illegal trafficking of species is insufficient, and because returning animals to the country of origin is a complicated and costly process.

Our amazing partner happens to be Turkish Cargo and we worked 5 months non stop, hand in hand, to bring back the trafficked parrots from Spain to Congo, where they would be rehabilitated within our partners JGI Tchimpounga sanctuary. 3 countries joined hands: Türkiye, Spain and Congo, in our ultimate goal to stop the trade. Wild at Life worked as the epicenter of this mission, as an international NGO based in Germany with strong Turkish roots. We are honored to say we made this happen with our valuable partners.

The repatriation mission led by Wild at Life e.V. Turkish Cargo & JGI of 34 Congolese gray parrots smuggled to Spain, carried on with the assistance of the Ministry of Spain & the Republic of Congo. The journey was long and the mission was complexed as many stakeholders were involved. Our Chief Conservation Officer Asli Han Gedik led the logistics and paperwork with our partners at Turkish Cargo and foreseed the mission from A to Z. We have taken high precautions in choosing the shorter time with connections from Madrid to Istanbul and Point Noire. At the last moment, one of the connections could not accept the parrots as the live animal hold air system wasn’t working properly and Asli stepped in by making calls to Cargo so they could replace the aircraft with Turkish Airlines and continue the mission. In such frequent cases, the airline normally doesn’t change aircraft, as this is disturbing the monthly planning of the companies, but with our strong relation and partnership, they have swiftly replaced the airplane.

Upon arrival at Istanbul, the 34 parrots (like the licence number of Istanbul 34), has been placed in the state of the art Istanbul Cargo area, where local veterinarian team made the check ups and cares for the parrots before boarding their end destination.

The next day, the Turkish Airlines plane that took off from Türkiye landed in Congo late at night and was welcomed by The Jane Goodall Institute Tchimpounga Sanctuary & the Congolese Government, not to mention the high press and media attention. From there the parrots continued their journey to the sanctuary where they started the rehabilitation program before release.

We are grateful to Turkish Cargo for its precious support and collaboration, and its longtime dedication to ban wildlife trafficking. This operation is the culmination of a rigorous, multidisciplinary collaboration involving various international authorities and organizations, including Wild at Life, the Foundation for Research in Ethology and Biodiversity (FIEB), the CITES Administrative Authority, and the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). These organizations have worked tirelessly to ensure the safe and ethical repatriation of these parrots, which were rescued from illegal trafficking operations in Spain. The Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) of the Civil Guard has played a pivotal role in these seizures, leading to the relocation of the parrots to CITES-approved sanctuaries.

After thorough evaluation, the Republic of the Congo was chosen as the optimal destination due to the successful reintroduction project for African gray parrots at the Tchimpounga Nature Reserve. The reserve has a proven track record of collaboration with Spanish and Congolese authorities in combating illegal wildlife trafficking, making it an ideal location for this initiative. The collaboration extended beyond conservation organizations, with crucial support from the Ministry of Forest Economy of the Republic of the Congo.

Wild at Life e.V., International NGO, with head offices in Türkiye and Germany, led the repatriation mission with their partners Turkish Cargo, which generously agreed to transport the parrots free of charge, under their commitment to curbs down illegal wildlife trade, from Madrid to Pointe Noire, Republic of the Congo. The journey to the Republic of the Congo is a vital step in a broader conservation effort. Upon arrival, the parrots underwent a period of acclimatization in specially designed facilities before being reintroduced into their natural habitat.