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The Daily Monitor, Addis Ababa
09 December, 2007
A wildlife conservation group in Cameroon is considering to sue the Ethiopian Airlines for complicity after it caught smugglers trying to take 1,000 African Grey parrots out of the central African country.
According to media reports,the Yaounde-based Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA), working with Cameroon's security forces, seized a consignment of 500 African Grey parrots on Tuesday aboard an Ethiopian Airlines plane shortly before it was due to leave Douala airport.
The discovery came just over a week after the authorities arrested two Ghanaians for trying to illegally export a first batch of 500 parrots out of Douala to Bahrain, the reports coming from Cameroon indicated.
"We're considering initiating a court case against the airline company, which has been found to be irregularly involved in the transport of wildlife without permission," a news report quoted LAGA director Ofir Drori as saying.
The Daily Monitor's attempt for comment from the Ethiopian Airlines on the matter was unsuccessful.
A Public Relations official with the airline said over the phone that he knew about the case, but would not comment.
The African Grey is a medium-sized parrot which is held to be one of the world's most intelligent birds, partly for its ability to imitate human speech. This makes it a popular pet.
The species is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to which Cameroon is a signatory. The pact requires that exports be accompanied by a permit issued by a national authority.
In total, the two batches of parrots are estimated to be worth $800,000, the reports added.