Kolkata: It certainly was a prize catch when the Border Security Force thwarted a attempt to smuggle rare African grey parrots worth several lakhs of Rupees in North 24 Paganas district of West Bengal from neighbouring Bangladesh.

According to a senior BSF official, the seizure was made on Sunday night during a special operation by BSF’s 40th battalion in the district of North 24 Parganas.

He said that a BSF ambush challenged bike borne smugglers who were carrying the birds in two cages. Frightened by the sight of the BSF personnel, the smugglers succeeded in escaping under cover of darkness, leaving behind the cages in which the rare bird species were kept.

The BSF personnel recovered 30 African grey and Amazon parrots worth more than Rs 10 lakh in the international market.

Later the seized birds were handed over to the West Bengal forest department.

It may be mentioned here that African Grey Parrot is a wonderful mimic and can mimic human voices better than any other avian species. Indian parrots also mimic human voice but it is limited to the extent that they remember only a few words which they had heard over and over again when they were very young, said an ornithologist who added that the the African grey parrot can mimic new voices as long as they live.
On the other hand, the Amazon parrots are very colourful and this is the reason for their demand among bird lovers, said the expert.

He said that Congo is major exporters of grey parrots and they sell these birds to Asia and the Middle East. Another country from where this bird is procured is Cameroon.

People round the world have petitioned CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna) to protect this globally threatened species and to impose a total ban on trade of this species.

“If CITES directs a trade suspension from these two countries we can be sure that future of this bird is secured, ” said the expert.