In this Dec. 15, 2012 photo provided by Paraguay's Environmental Ministry, rescued Blue-fronted Amazons parrots, whose scientific name is Amazona aestiva, are taken from a box by veterinarian Carlos Britos, right, at the Teniente Agripino Enciso National Park in Paraguay on the border with Bolivia border. Britos says many are still juveniles and were taken from their nests, and that they will be returned to the wild once they can fly. Police rescued 211 protected parrots taken from the remote forests of Paraguay, and made four arrests. Stealing wild animals and plants is a crime in Paraguay, punishable by up to eight years in prison. (AP Photo/Paraguay's Environmental Ministry)
Wednesday, January 02, 2013 5:53 pm
Paraguayan police rescue 211 protected parrots
The Associated Press
Veterinarian Carlos Britos of Paraguay's environmental ministry identifies the rescued birds as blue-fronted Amazon parrots, whose scientific name is Amazona aestiva. He says many are still juveniles and were taken from their nests.
He said Wednesday that the birds are being cared for by government biologists in a national park, and will be returned to the wild once they can fly.
Blue-fronted Amazons are among the parrots most commonly kept as house pets. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says more than 400,000 have been caught in the wild and traded. But stealing wild animals and plants is a crime in Paraguay, punishable by up to eight years in prison.