Czech customs seize over 100 parrots in wildlife smuggling bust

Customs officers in Brno uncovered an organized network that was illegally importing protected parrots into the Czech Republic. During inspections in the Moravian‑Silesian, Olomouc and Central Bohemian regions, more than 100 birds were confiscated. The smugglers had forged the birds' origins and identification rings, according to customs spokesperson Martina Kaňková.

Fifty‑five of the seized parrots were transferred to the Ostrava Zoo for temporary care, while dozens of the remaining birds were returned to their original owners. The birds were found sedated in cut‑open plastic bottles, a method that can be fatal if the animals become agitated. The suspects have been handed over to the police and face up to eight years in prison for trafficking endangered species. Inspector Vojtěch Bonczek of the Czech Environmental Inspection noted that the confiscated birds were in generally good condition.