An argument between the landlord and tenant of a warehouse in Beers led to the discovery of more than a hundred parrots on Friday. The police went to Beers after a report from the landlord that no rent was paid. In Beers, officers listened to the two quarrels and looked at what was in the shed, a spokesperson says. Thus, the 118 Caiques and two Soldatenara’s were discovered that were very neglected. Seven birds were dead.
The NVWA previously announced that the animals were so neglected that there would be many more dead birds if they had not been found accidentally. A Caique parrot yields between 350 and 800 euros, a small search on Marktplaats shows. 118 such parrots were seized on Friday in Beers. “The hygiene was bad, there was no water and little food,” says René Loman of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. He wouldn’t say where the birds are now. “We never tell.”
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No parrots have arrived at the well-known shelters in Brabant. At the shelter in Someren they only receive native species and they are not at the Zoo in Veldhoven either. The police only want to say that they have been taken to a recognized animal shelter. At the national shelter World of Birds in Erica in Drenthe, they don’t know where they are either. There they are not impressed by the number of confiscated animals. “Unfortunately, we often hear that number,” said a spokesperson.
Still, the care of more than 100 parrots is quite demanding. “I wouldn’t know where I would have to take care of those Caiques for a long time,” says the same World of Birds spokesperson. “The birds live on average from 30 to 40 years with exceptions of 60. That means that they rely on your shelter capacity for a long time.”
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Spokesperson Loman of the NVWA does not want to anticipate the long term. “To be clear, the birds have not been confiscated but have been taken into custody. This may also mean that after investigation the birds will be returned to the owner.”
The market value of the ‘guarded’ Caiques will not be high, given their poor condition. Caiques are known for being easy-to-breed parrots. This has also happened en masse since 2000, because they have no longer been allowed to be imported from South America. “Just like with puppies, there are also abuses in the breeding of Caiques,” explains Loman. Whether it was indeed about breeding in Beers is being investigated.
The owner of Zoo Veldhoven, where they keep and sometimes shelter many birds, including Caiques, suspects that the animals are intended for foreign trade. “In the Netherlands we keep animals in cages less and less. I am also less and less often offered such parrots. There must also be something wrong with the owner,” thinks the Zoo owner. “If you neglect these critters, they will not provide for offspring. It is not in his interest to take care of birds badly. They are also very intelligent birds, who are easy to care for and who like to play games.”
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