Black-headed parrots saved from smugglers

SORONG, Irian Jaya: Forest rangers have successfully foiled an attempt to smuggle 50 black-headed parrots (lorius domicel), a protected species, from their habitat in Bintuni district.

The forest rangers found the birds in two big boxes brought by a man identified as Mustakin, 23, aboard the Alken Persada motorboat, chief of Bintuni's forest rangers, JS Parirak, said here Wednesday.

Mustakin admitted that he bought the parrots for Rp 25,000 each and plans to sell them for Rp 35,000 each in Sorong.

The black-headed parrot could fetch millions of rupiah if sold in big cities, Antara reported.