Three toucans and two baby macaws were rescued by National Customs Service inspectors at the Quillagua outpost, 237 kilometers south of Iquique. The birds were inside a box and were thrown into a ravine by smugglers.
Collaborative work
The rescue of the birds was activated thanks to the collaborative work of Customs officials and travelers who were traveling on Route A-5 North, said the Regional Director of the Iquique Customs, Dennys Beltrand Santos. “The inspector stationed at the entrance to the Quillagua customs control saw from a distance an exotically colored bird walking in the middle of the desert, to which the complaint and support of travelers was added. Due to this, a search was activated and a box was found in a ravine with baby toucans and macaws inside it,” he said.
Beltrand also said that the rescue also prevented an attack by a pack of wild dogs, who were surrounding the chicks. “Everything indicates that these birds were abandoned by smugglers, who surely threw them into the ravine to eliminate them before customs control.”
Birds protected by CITES
These are birds protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (Cites). The toucans and macaws are about 30 days old and were dehydrated, so they were cared for and looked after by customs officers. Once the events were recorded, the chief prosecutor of Pozo Almonte, Hardy Torres, was notified and instructed the birds to be handed over to the Agricultural and Livestock Service (Sag).
The birds are believed to be from the Bolivian jungle and were brought into Chile through unauthorized crossings. It should be noted that on February 10, customs officers from the El Loa outpost detected 9 macaw chicks in the cabin of a truck. “It is important to call on the community to report these events and, at the same time, avoid the purchase of these species. because it causes irreversible damage,” Beltrand added.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
