Masarang HK Society Limited 青山綠水協會有限公司

Friday, June 21 2024, a total of 68 animals consisting of 11 White Cockatoos (Cacatua alba), 29 Chattering Lory (Lorius garrulus), 4 Violet-necked Lory (Eos squamata), 1 Sailfin Lizard (Hydrosaurus amboinensis), 3 Halmahera Ground Boa (Candoia paulsoni), 11 Red Lory (Eos bornea) and 9 Moluccan Cockatoos (Cacatua moluccensis) departed from Bitung Port to their home areas in Ternate (North Maluku) and Ambon (Maluku).

These animals were confiscated and rescued from illegal wildlife trade and illegal pets by the North Sulawesi Natural Resources and Conservation Agency (BKSDA Ssulawesi Utara), which were then entrusted to the Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Center to undergo treatment and rehabilitation. These animals have had their health checked and declared fit to be returned to their original habitat to be released back into nature.

This translocation is actually scheduled to take place last year. But, during the health check for sampling the Psittacine Feather and Beak Diseases (PBFD), some of the parrots that are planned to be translocated are indicated by this disease. We had to repeat the health check and do full screening for all the parrots in Tasikoki to make sure which one got infected and needed to be isolated and which one is healthy and ready to be translocated or released.

The translocation of the animals was carried out by the North Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Sulawesi Utara) with support from the BKSDA Maluku and positive partners WCS-IP, the Masarang Foundation (PPS Tasikoki), and the World Parrot Trust. To make sure the safety of the animals on the boat during the translocation, the transport was joined by the staff from BKSDA Sulawesi Utara, drh. Avivah (vet) and Noldy (animal keeper) from Tasikoki WRC and also drh. Fahmi (vet) and Angela from World Parrot Trust. Every few hours on the ship to Molucca, we are checking the birds to make sure they are okay. On the board we feed them, give them enrichment and also extra nutritious supplements to keep the birds in a good shape before they arrive at their destination.

22 June 2024, morning around 7am we arrive at the Ternate Sea-Port, where there are the officers from BKSDA in Ternate already waiting to pickup the animals. In total there is 48 animals are off board in Ternate, immediately transferred to the transit cages under BKSDA facilities. Drh. Avivah (Tasikoki) and Angela (WPT) are off board the ship also to help the officers in Ternate taking care these birds for a few days.

The next day on 23 June 2024, the rest of the translocation team and 20 other birds are arrived at Ambon Sea-port. We immediately transferred these birds to the Pusat Konservasi Satwa (Wildlife Conservation Center/WCC) under BKSDA Maluku facilities. Noldy, Billy (Tasikoki), and Fahmi (WPT) are also stayed for a few days in Ambon to help the officers in WCC to taking care these new arrived birds and doing a little bit of capacity building for the animal’s keepers in WCC Ambon.

We would like to thank to all the peoples that donated and help for the rehabilitation of this animals in Tasikoki, so we were able to send them back to where they belong including Artenschutzstiftung Zoo Karlsruhe and Dr. Manfred Krieger who contributed much to the care before this transport became possible.

Hopefully these animals will be released soon to the wild in Halmahera and Ceram Island; after they got rest a little bit from the journey back home on the boat. We hope to keep you updated on their progress in these final steps.

THE LIST OF THE TRANSLOCATED ANIMALS