The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre(UWEC) has released back into the wild, 55 African grey parrots that have been rehabilitated.
The 55 are part of the 119 live African grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) that were confiscated at the Bunagana border between DR Congo and Uganda in April 2022 and taken to Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC)-Entebbe Zoo for rehabilitation.
On Saturday, the birds were released back into the wild during a function witnessed by the UWEC manager for education and information, David Musingo and the UWA deputy director in charge of operations, Charles Tumwesigye.
Musingo described the first shift of the release phase as a milestone in combating the illegal trade and trafficking of these endangered species, threatened with extinction.
"It has taken over a year to return the parrots because they were exhibits in the court proceedings," Musingo said.
"Through UWA, the court has granted us permission to release them, with Kibale National Park selected as the suitable site.Collaborations have been pivotal to the success of the project and we are grateful to our partners; JICA, UWA, Chubu University, Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), and World Parrot Trust who have supported this exercise technically and financially.”
The African grey parrots have been ranked by the International Union of Conservation of Nature(IUCN) as the world’s most traded bird.
In the entire world, IUCN says there are between 40,000 to 100,000 African grey parrots but the data on the population of the bird in Uganda is still scanty.
Described as being beautiful, intelligent and unique, the African grey parrot has for these reasons and more been targeted for its social nature and high intelligence.
Considered good pet by pet keepers due to its intelligence, ability to speak and a possible return of high profits after sale, the bird has been sought after by many.
People in the trade earn huge profit margins and as a result traffic the bird to other countries like Australia, Asia, China and United Arab Emirates where demand is high.
Overhunting combined with forest degradation has led to a dramatic decline in wild parrot populations.
In 2016, the CITES banned the global commercial trade of African parrots at a meeting in Johannesburg.
"The meeting gave the highest level of protection to the parrot species by listing it in Appendix 1, which outlaws all International trade in animals facing possible extinction. However, the parrots that are bred in CITES-registered captive facilities are on Appendix 2 and can be traded following the CITES guidelines," said UWA’s Charles Tumwesigye,
UWEC is mandated to develop and promote conservation education throughout the country, rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife back to the wild, and undertake captive brooding of endangered, rare, and endemic wildlife species among others.