Officials from the Lukuru Foundation and the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) in Maniema released 34 parrots back into the wild in Dingi, located in this eastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), last Tuesday, October 20. These birds had been seized from traffickers involved in illegal wildlife trade.

According to the report presented during the release ceremony, a total of 549 parrots have been reintroduced into the wild since these operations began, stated Thérèse Hart, founder of the Lukuru Foundation. The birds underwent a rehabilitation period prior to their release.

African Grey parrots were previously released in Dingi on March 25. Over 40 other rehabilitated African Greys were also set free on May 31, in observance of World Parrot Day.

African Grey parrots were uplisted from Appendix II to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2016 due to fears of species extinction driven by rising exports. Consequently, the commercial quota for this species went from 3,000–5,000 individuals down to zero, enforcing a total ban on trade.

Written by Victoire Katembo Mbuto