The 73 parrots seized from traffickers have been handed over to the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) for rehabilitation and reintegration into the forest.
Director-General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, disclosed this in Kano on Thursday.
He said officials of the Nigeria Customs Service seized the parrots from traffickers.
Represented by NESREA’s Zonal Director in Kano, Mr Abdulraheem Mudashiru, Mr Jauro said birds were seized in June as the traffickers were smuggling them out of the country and were kept at the Kano Zoo.
“After seizing the birds, they were handed over to NESREA which took them to Kano Zoological Gardens for proper care.
“NESREA subsequently received another directive that the parrots be handed over to the NCF,’’ he added.
He said 100 parrots were actually seized, but two died before getting to the zoo.
He added that 25 of the remaining 98 parrots were donated to the Kano Zoo and to Gombe State.
In his remarks, Director-General of NCF, Dr Mukhtar Aminu-Kano, said the birds would be taken to Lagos, where there is a competent facility for the rehabilitation of such wildlife.
“They would be properly looked after there and be monitored to make sure that their feathers grow back and they become healthy enough to fly around to survive in the wild.
“It is only when we are sure of that that they can be taken to the forests.
“Parrots are not domiciled in the Savannah; they are not domiciled in the northern parts of Nigeria; they need to be taken to their natural habitat.
“We shall ensure that they are taken to protective forests where they will no longer be poached,’’ he said.
