Biologist reveals important role cities play in conservation of threatened species

Hong Kong home to critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoo 

Date: January 5, 2017

Source: The University of Hong Kong

The exhaustive international trade of wildlife has pushed many species to the brink of extinction. Coincidentally, many of the same species have been introduced to urban centres or wilderness areas outside their natural ranges. In a recent study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, authors from Hong Kong and Australia find that these introduced populations may provide hope for these threatened species.

"Across the planet, poachers have reached into the last remote habitats to harvest wildlife populations used for clothing, eaten, or kept as pets in faraway cities," said Dr. Luke Gibson from the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Hong Kong, who led the study.

"In some cases, the traded organisms have escaped and are now thriving in their introduced habitats," he added.

In total, the authors identified 49 globally threatened species -- those listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered -- which have established introduced populations outside their native distribution. These include amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds, as well as insects and plants, with introduced populations found on all continents except Antarctica.

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Bottled birds: How callous smugglers cram cockatoos into plastic bottles to get them through customs

More than 24 endangered Yellow-crested cockatoos were rescued by police

Smugglers stuffed them in bottles to get through customs in Indonesia

Critically endangered cockatoos can be sold for as much as £650 each

Around 40 per cent of birds die during the illegal smuggling process

By JENNY AWFORD FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 19:50, 4 May 2015 | UPDATED: 11:31, 5 May 2015

More than 24 critically endangered cockatoos were rescued by police after being found stuffed in water bottles for illegal trade. 

Smugglers crammed the Yellow-crested cockatoos into empty bottles so they could get through customs at Port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Indonesia.

But Indonesian Police discovered the birds, which can be sold for as much as £650 each, and cut them free so they could receive medical attention.

The Yellow-crested cockatoo was listed as a critically endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 2007.

More than 24 critically endangered cockatoos were rescued by police after being found stuffed in water bottles for illegal trade

Smugglers had crammed the Yellow-crested cockatoos into empty bottles so they could get through customs at Port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Indonesia

The population is at a critical low due to deforestation and poaching and recent studies suggest there may be less than 7,000 individuals remaining.

More than 10,000 parrots, including Lories and Cockatoos, are caught from the wild in North Halmahera, Indonesia, each year to supply the domestic and the international illegal wildlife trade.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3067691/Smugglers-birds-plastic-bottles-customs.html#ixzz3ZTw9jeIt

Cockatoos Get Protection to Curb Illegal Pet Trade

By RAMONA YOUNG-GRINDLE 

WASHINGTON (CN) - Three species of cockatoos have received final listing status under the Endangered Species Act, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Philippine cockatoo and the yellow-crested cockatoo are listed as endangered, while the white cockatoo is listed as threatened.

Because the white cockatoo is listed as threatened, the USFWS has also issued a special rule for that species under the ESA to allow import, export and interstate commerce of the birds without a permit if they are captive-bred or already in captivity at the time of listing, as long as those activities were in compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Wild Bird Conservation Act, according to the agency's press release. The ESA's special rule clause is not applicable to species listed as endangered.

The Friends of Animals (FOA) petitioned the USFWS to list the cockatoos and 11 other parrot species in 2008. In 2010, the FOA and the WildEarth Guardians sued the agency for failure to issue a 12-month finding on the petition. A 2010 settlement agreement outlined a timetable for determining listing status for the species and the three cockatoos were proposed for listing in August 2011, according to the action.

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Yellow-crested cockatoo population in critical condition

Illegal trapping for pet trade close to wiping out the population

March 2013. Reports from the Indonesian state of West Nusa Tenggara, which contains the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, indicate that the Yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) population there has reached a critical due to rampant illegal hunting and trapping for the pet trade.

A recent survey counted just 107 birds in 2 populations. The cockatoos are very slow breeders, laying a maximum of just 2 eggs per year. So unless birds live to a ripe old age, and breed regularly, the population will continue to decline.

According to Wikipedia," Numbers have declined dramatically due to illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade. Between 1980 and 1992, over 100,000 of these birds were legally exported from Indonesia."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/yellow-crested-cockatoo-2013.html