Nigeria has made its largest wildlife-trafficking bust to date, intercepting over 1,600 birds—including ring-necked parrots and green-fronted and yellow-fronted canaries—at Lagos airport. The shipment, bound for Kuwait, lacked proper permits, prompting customs officials to intercept it during routine checks. Authorities say the birds will be rehabilitated and released by the National Parks Service, while investigations are underway to identify those behind the illegal export. Nigeria, a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) treaty, remains a hotspot for the illegal trafficking of wildlife, particularly ivory and pangolin scales, due to porous borders, corruption, and weak enforcement.
BBC
