Police confirmed that Lampung Province is a favorite route for smuggling wild Sumatran birds to Java. Head of Lampung Police Public Relations Commissioner Umi Fadilah Astutik said that several arrests of smuggling attempts have revealed a number of facts in the field. “Lampung Province is a favorite route for smuggling wild birds because the land route through Lampung has a low cost,” Umi said, Thursday (21/12/2023). This fact was also revealed in an analysis by Lampung Quarantine Center and Flight Protecting Indonesias Birds. The analysis, outlined in a report titled “Sumatran Birds Under Pressure”, states that thousands of protected birds have been illegally traded in the last five years. Umi added that countless attempts to smuggle wild birds have been thwarted by police and the Lampung Quarantine Center at the entrance to Bakauheni port. But as if they were not tired, the smugglers continue to try to send wildlife to Java. According to Lampung Police records, 5 cases were handled in 2019, 12 cases in 2020, 14 cases in 2021, and 22 cases in 2022. “There are many findings ranging from illegal trade in tigers, birds, to pangolin scales and other protected animals. Lampung is the gateway,” Umi said. Umi believes there needs to be synergy between all parties to free Lampung from illegal wildlife trade. “From upstream to downstream, we must prevent and deter,” she said. It is also important to educate the public that wildlife conservation is a shared responsibility. “Of course, if there is no demand, there will be no supply. So educating […]

We have reached the end of 2023. This is the second year that we have expanded our reach in an effort to support the government to save Indonesia’s birds from the illegal wildlife trade. Initially we only worked in Sumatra, Java and West Nusa Tenggara. Now we have reached islands in eastern Indonesia, such as Papua, Sulawesi and Maluku. Throughout 2023, we have supported government authorities to rescue 29,902 wild birds of various species from the illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia. These birds were smuggled using various types of vehicles, such as passenger ships, inter-city buses, freight trucks, pickups, and private vehicles (minibuses). Songbirds are still the dominant species in the illegal wildlife trade, causing their population in the wild to continue to decline. Of the 29,902 wild birds we rescued in 2023, 29,307 (98.01%) were songbirds.