170 canaries seized from bus in Colombia
August 30th, 2011 - 11:36 am ICT by IANSBogota, Aug 30 (IANS/EFE) Colombian police have seized 170 canaries which are highly prized for their singing. The birds were being transported in boxes in a bus traveling along a highway in the northern province of Bolivar.
The commander of the Bolivar police, Col. Hugo Casas, told reporters that the birds were seized in the hamlet of Calamar and that police arrested one man.
Apparently, the canaries were to have been sold in the nearby city of Barranquilla, capital of the province of Atlantico.
The birds were turned over to the Environmental Police, which will take the appropriate steps to have them returned to their natural habitat, Casas said.
Authorities are investigating whether the arrested man is part of a network of traffickers in endangered species, given that this is the second shipment of birds seized in the past two weeks in that part of the country.
On the previous occasion, authorities seized 100 canaries that were also being transported aboard a bus.
Police operations that are being staged in that part of Colombia are aimed at ending the trafficking of species such as boa constrictors, small alligators, iguanas and others, all species that are sold for their supposed aphrodisiac qualities.
Colombia is the country with the greatest number of bird species, at latest count some 1,876.
–IANS/EFE
rd
- Crocodile, boa constrictor seized at Mexican market - Jul 27, 2011
- Shakira announces alliance for poor kids' education - Apr 14, 2012
- 17 cocaine labs destroyed in Colombia - Jan 26, 2012
- Seven killed in Colombia accident - Jan 08, 2011
- Salsa singer hurt in accident in Colombia - May 01, 2012
- 2.6 tons of cocaine seized in Spain - Jul 04, 2010
- Thieves slide out ATM on watermelon rinds! - Jan 11, 2012
- 2,000 land mines found in Colombia in 2011 - Sep 19, 2011
- 4,800 turtle eggs seized - Jul 05, 2010
- Police seize 460 kg of cocaine in Honduras - Oct 08, 2010
- Colombia beauty barred from contest (Lead) - Aug 10, 2011
- Military helicopter crashes in northern Colombia, killing 13 - May 01, 2012
- Miss Colombia contest bars woman linked to Mexican kingpin - Aug 10, 2011
- Three die in Colombian plane crash - Mar 19, 2012
- Use of children to transport drugs increasing in Colombia - Dec 28, 2010
Tags: alligators, bird species, birds, boa constrictors, bogota, bolivar, calamar, canaries, casas, colombian police, endangered species, environmental police, hamlet, hugo, natural habitat, nearby city, northern province, police operations, traffickers, trafficking