A growing illegal trade is threatening the African Grey Parrot
A growing illegal trade is threatening the African Grey Parrot. Thousands of birds are shipped worldwide from Congo every month. Less than 1 in 3 survive before being sold. We’re working to stop this cruel trade right at the source.
Why the African Grey Parrot?
Have you ever heard about Alex? He became the world’s most famous parrot. Why? Because he proved to science that his species is as smart as dolphins. They can talk, show empathy, and never stop learning. Quite astonishing.
Where is the illegal trade happening?
It’s happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the heart of Africa. Congo is as large as Western Europe or 3 times the size of Texas! Most of Congo is an endless expanse of forest, home to many unique species.
We work with the government and civil society to stop the corruption that allows the illegal parrot trade to thrive.
When did the trade of the African Grey Parrot start ?
It’s been going on for decades. But it has gotten big in Congo over the last 15 years. The parrot was listed as endangered in 2018, but the trade reached its highest levels EVER in recent years.
We don’t know how many parrots are caught in Congo each year, but we do know that in one year, through just one airport in the middle of Congo, 22,000 parrots were exported. And many captured parrots died before ever reaching the airport.
How are we going to stop this trade?
Our action is on three fronts:
On the ground education and law enforcement
Political action
Rescue
Who are we?
We are a small group of Congolese and American conservationists. Our group contains committed representatives of the government, law enforcement experts, and John and Terese Hart.
The Harts are conservationists with 40 years of experience in the Democratic Republic Congo. They have led scientific research programs, managed national conservation programs, and worked with Congolese to create a National Park in the Congo. More importantly, they’ve trained two generations of wildlife scientists and conservationists over 4 decades, some of whom are driving this project.
