Rare birds sold in Germany after expo
BANDUNG (JP): The Wild Animal Conservation Forum (Foksi) urged the government to explain the disappearance of 55 rare birds of the paradise species (paradisaeidae), locally known as cendrawasih, after they were displayed recently in an animal exhibition in Germany.
"We've received reports that the birds displayed in Germany turned out to be for sale," Foksi chairman Toni Sumampouw said in the forum's monthly discussion in Cisarua, Bogor, over the weekend.
The sales could be conducted with legitimate documents from the Indonesian government, he said.
"If this is true... we deeply regret this as a rare species cannot just be sold freely and there is an export quota list on it."
The trading quota for rare and endangered species is set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, Toni said.
Under the quota list, any export distribution of the species is subject to approval from the country of origin and the country of destination.
The birds have not returned to their sanctuary including the Indonesian Safari Park and Bali Bird Park.
A cendrawasih could be worth at least US$10,000 (Rp 76 million) in the market, Toni said.
Director of the Indonesian Safari Park, Jansen Manangsang, confirmed that his park had lent six cendrawasih to join the exhibition in Germany, but until today the birds had not been returned.
Toni reiterated that rare species are considered state property. "So parks such as Taman Safari only function as shelters which takes care of them."
Separately in Bali, operational director of Bali Bird Park Edi Swoboda dismissed reports that his park had sent such birds to an exhibition in Germany.
"What we sent were miniatures of traditional houses of Toraja, Timor and Sumatra, 300 statues from across the country and 40 Balinese paintings," Edi said Wednesday.
Edi said his park had never transported any birds because of the arduous procedure. He said the park has received two rare starling (jalak) birds from Germany. (43/50/edt)