10 of the parrots stuffed in plastic bottles died in the journey. Photo / Getty Images, Natural History Museum, Berlin
Indonesian Police intercepted an unusual cargo on Friday after a large container began emitting strange noises.
Police from the small town of Fakfak in the west Papua reported the discovery of 74 black-caped parrots, ten of which had died in transport, each stuffed into plastic drinking bottles.
The birds were
identified as black-capped lories, which are indigenous to New Guinea and Pacific, and had clearly travelled some way. The birds are part of an international supply for the black market in exotic birds as pets.
Some of the larger caches of intercepted birds include 125 exotic birds discovered in plastic drainpipes, in 2017, and a collection of 21 yellow crested cockatoo from Australia in 2015.
"The ship's crew told us that they suspected there were animals inside the box as they heard strange noises," a spokesperson for local police told news agency AFP.
