Ho Chi Minh City, dated 8th September 2014. Wildlife At Risk (WAR) received 470 individuals of pet birds including 440 individuals of Common Mara (Acridotheres tristis) and 30 individuals of Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacala alexxamdri).These wildlife were confiscated from an illegal trade case by Ho Chi Minh City Environmental Police.
All the Common Mara are young. They are not mature enough to be released back to the wild. They will be taken care and rehabilitated at Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station. This is a huge challenge for the Station as the young birds needs much more of human resource in feeding and taking care of them, and capacity of the enclosures is limited. Fortunately, all the Red-breasted Parakeet are adult and much healthier. They will be released back to the wild soon.
Common Mara is famous for its ability to speak while Res-breasted Parakeet is well known for its beautiful plumage. Both of these species are common hunted and traded in Vietnam as pets. Although the two species are not listed in the Vietnam Red Book, populations of these species are steadily declined in the wild.
Please think carefully before purchasing a pet bird. You might be pushing the species to the brink of extinction.