Ambon BKSDA Saves Six Seram Kakatuas From Smuggling Efforts

The reckless partuau bird that was successfully secured by the Maluku BKSDA at the Port of Yus Sudarso Ambon, (photo: doc. Antara)

AMBON - Trade of rare and protected animals continues to occur in the country. The latest news is that the Maluku Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) rescued seven scary cockatoos (Capitua Molucensis) brought by a laborer at Yos Sudarso Port, Ambon.

"So last Wednesday, the Maluku BKSDA, through the forestry police officer of the port post Yos Sudarso Ambon secured seven scary cockatoes from a laborer who wanted to raise them to KM. Tidar, who was docking at the port at that time," said Maluku BKSDA Forest Police, Seto, in Ambon, Saturday, September 17.

The scary cockatoe or my maluku cockatoe (Capitua molucensis), is a crooked beak bird from Maluku, precisely from Seram Island, to be one of the protected types of parents according to the Minister of Environment and Forestry No. P.20/2018.

This type of Kakatua has white-dominated fur, the head has a guava with orange pattern, a strong black beak, and a full round eye ball.

According to Seto, the bird that was secured was only ordered to be deposited on the sixth deck of the back corner and will be taken by one of the crew members (ABK) to Makassar.

"Of the seven birds after being handed over, one of them has died, so only six are still alive," he said.

He said that currently the bird had been handed over to the Ambon Island Resort and placed in the Ambon City Transit Passo cage to be quarantined and rehabilitated before being released back into its natural habitat.

Seto added that the workers who brought the kakotua bird were scary, they had been given guidance and only a statement letter, because only someone was ordered to bring the protected animal from car to ship.

We haven't got the main perpetrator yet, and we are currently monitoring him. The possibility is around the Bula, East Seram. Other officers are still looking for information on the perpetrators," said Seto.

If the collector or the owner of the capital is in Makassar. We are still monitoring it," said Seto.

Seto said the search for the main perpetrator was temporarily handled by the Maluku BKSDA Police. "Our internal information will be that later the information will be A1 or it will definitely only cooperate with the police and the law enforcement office (Gakkum)," he said.

Based on the provisions of Law no. 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and their Ecosystems states that: Whoever arrests, injures, kills, stores, has, maintains, transports, and trades protected animals alive; (Article 21 paragraph (2) letter a), is threatened with a maximum imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of Rp. 100 million (Article 40 paragraph (2)).