Born Free USA Blog
by Will Travers,
Chief Executive Officer
What can you say about a big-hearted bloke who has rescued dolphins, tigers, elephants and more and whose parents once helped a lion cub from a department store by caring for him in their backyard and engineering his rightful return to Africa? You can safely say that he's got great animal instincts! In 1984, Will Travers joined his parents — "Born Free" film stars Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers — to form what became The Born Free Foundation. With knowledge, passion and compassion dripping from his every word, Will's blogs are sure to make you embrace our crusade to Keep Wildlife in the Wild ®.
Mexico Gives Trade in Wild Parrots the Bird!
Hard on the heels of the Cameroonian Parrot trade bust (and the subsequent release of hundreds of African Grey Parrots back to the wild) — here’s some really great news from Mexico.
Thanks to my good friend Juan Carlos Cantu for the information.
The Mexican Senate approved a bill to ban capture and export of Mexican wild parrots (66 votes in favor, 0 against, 1 abstention). This comes exactly a year after the Deputy Chamber had first drafted and approved the bill (300 votes in favor, 0 against, 2 abstentions).
The original bill was drafted by the Deputies after a presentation of the report “The Illegal Parrot Trade in Mexico. A Comprehensive Assessment” by Defenders of Wildlife and Teyeliz, A.C. which documented for the first time the volume of the illegal trade of parrots. An estimated 65,000-78,500 are being captured illegally each year, with overall mortality exceeding 75% before reaching the purchaser. This translates into about 50,000 to 60,000 dead parrots per year.
Mexico harbors 22 species of parrots and macaws, of which 90% are in some category of risk. The latest Mexican classification (yet to be published) puts 11 species in Danger of Extinction, 5 species Threatened, 4 species under special protection, and 2 species unclassified.
Wow! This is sure to make a lasting and positive difference to the long-term survival prospects for wild parrots in Mexico — thanks to the hard work of conservationists and a government that cares.
Blogging off!
Will
