January 23, 2003
By Bongani Majola
THE Johannesburg Zoo received seven rare birds from the Gauteng Provincial Government on Friday, the office of the MEC for Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs announced.
Members of the Nature Conservation Special Investigation Unit confiscated the rare African parrots when they thwarted an illegal smuggling operation at the Johannesburg International Airport last year.
The consignment consisted of five African grey and two Jardine parrots, both of which are classified as rare species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, to which the provincial department is a signatory.
A South African flight engineer appeared in court last year where he pleaded guilty to smuggling the birds, which are originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was sentenced to a fine of R20 000 or 18 months in prison, suspended for nine months or R10 000.
According to the Gauteng Nature Conservation Ordinance 12 of 1993, any animals, flora or fauna found to be illegally in the province, are forfeited to the government. And, says the department's spokesperson Kgomo Molefe, "the government will stop at nothing to deter the smuggling of species in and out of the country".
"The hand-over of the parrots to the zoo highlights our commitment to both curbing the illicit trade and to conserving endangered species," Molefe said.
Based at the Johannesburg International Airport, the Nature Conservation Special Unit investigated 10 incidents of illegal trade in rare and endangered bird species and seized over 150 birds last year only, according to Molefe.
