URGENT PLEA FOR HELP
523 African Grey Parrots arrive at Primate Sanctuary
in Democratic Republic of Congo
Located in the South Kivu province of The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Centre de Rehabilitation des Primates de Lwiro (CRPL) is a crucial resource for the protection and rehabilitation of the country’s primates.
The CRPL provides desperately needed care and housing for over 100 primates displaced or orphaned by the illegal forest activities of DRC. In this politically tense region, CRPL not only serves to help primates but is dedicated to working with the community in developing collaborative programs, providing education and creating an environment in which endangered wildlife and humans can successfully coexist.
The Centre de Rehabilitation des Primates de Lwiro was officially launched in 2002 by two Congolese government institutions, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and the Centre de Recherche de Sciences Naturelles (CRSN). And in 2006 Coopera, a Spanish NGO became the third and managing partner in the CRPL.
On the 18 September the CRPL received a phone call from the Congolese government authorities stating that 523 African Grey Parrots had been seized at a United Nations airport 7km from the sanctuary.
The birds were bound for Singapore with forged CITES papers. The birds arrived at the sanctuary two hours later in terrible conditions.
The managing partners struggle to provide the best care possible for the many primate residents and is in no way equipped to house and care for this amount of birds. However, in the few days following the rescue, the birds have been fed, watered and given triage medical care. Make-shift cages have been constructed to allow the birds room to move and fly.
Already, over 20 of the animals have died.
But we hope we will be able to get as many of them back to health and released as soon as possible. We are currently looking for funds to assist us with caring for the birds, including hiring new staff members from the community, so that we are able to care for the birds at the highest level possible.
We need your help to nurse these birds back to health and to release them into the wild where they belong. Please visit our blog page at www.lwiro.blogspot.com to see pictures, and click on the donate button to be a part of this rescue operation!
Comments
Post has no comments.