Poland customs seize 20 illegally transported parrots, one dies

Customs officers from the Mazowieckie Tax and Customs Office in Warsaw intercepted a shipment of 20 exotic parrots that were being moved without the required CITES documentation or customs declaration. The birds were transferred to the Central Animal Shelter, where veterinary staff found that most had suffered injuries such as broken feathers and a broken limb; one parrot did not survive the transport. Evidence suggests the parrots were given sedatives to keep them quiet during the journey.

The confiscated birds comprised 16 rosellas (genus Platycercus) and four Alexandrine parrots (genus Psittacula). Nineteen of the birds remain alive under the shelter’s care. The illegal transport violates EU regulations implementing the Washington Convention (CITES) and carries a potential prison sentence of three months to five years. Authorities are also investigating possible animal‑cruelty offenses related to the stressful and harmful conditions of the transport.