September 30, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 29, 2008

LAHORE, Sept 29: A Punjab Wildlife district officer has confiscated seven macaws and nine amazon parrots at Lahore airport being smuggled to Karachi.

Malik Javed Awan, the district wildlife officer, told Dawn that on Saturday afternoon two wildlife officials caught Ahmed at Lahore airport who had South African parrots and was sending them to Karachi in a flight.

Mr Awan said Ahmed did not have any import or export license for the parrots neither he had any quarantine certificate.

The officer said the value of birds was around Rs1.6 million which were booked for Al-Rehman traders. He said the birds were now kept at Lahore Zoo as guest birds.

Mr Awan said the party would have to pay the cost of the birds or the court would decide the case.

Punjab Wildlife Task Force Member Tauqeer Shah said that the taskforce had issued strict orders to take action against illegal trade of birds and animals. He said generally when these smugglers once successfully smuggled birds into Pakistan, they took the plea that these birds were bred in the country and later they sold them against hefty prices in Gulf countries.

Punjab Wildlife Department Director General Sher Alam Masood said that parrots were tested by the zoo vets. However, Dawn saw that guest birds were kept with other zoo parrots.

According to wildlife experts Macaws are small to large, often colourful parrots. Macaws have been said to live for up to 100 years; however, an average of 50 years is probably more accurate. The larger macaws may live up to 65 years. They are monogamous and mate for life. In captivity unmated macaws will bond primarily with one person - their keeper.