‘Seized birds highly valued in Indonesia as pets, songbirds’
KUCHING: Magpie robin and white-rumped shama birds are classified as protected species in the state due to their commercial value in countries such as Indonesia, says Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) general manager Oswald Braken Tisen.
He said according to the Traffic (The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network) International Report, these birds are highly sought after in Indonesia as songbirds.
“If you look up the internet or the Traffic International Report, you will see that magpie robin and white-rumped shama birds are highly sought in Indonesia not only to be kept as pets, but also to participate in birdsinging competitions,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.
He was asked to comment on why these birds are in demand in view of the recent case where an Indonesian woman and a local man were arrested for trying to smuggle out 1,060 magpie robins and white-rumped shamas at an illegal border crossing near Tebedu.
Asked on how much each bird would cost in Indonesia, Oswald said he is unsure of the price.
On whether the smuggling of the birds involved a syndicate, he replied that SFC is still investigating the case.
Despite the high demand of these birds in Indonesia, he said the tradition of rearing songbirds is not popular in Sarawak.
“We are lucky that this hobby has not gained popularity in Malaysia,” he added.
On Monday, the Indonesian woman and local man, both in their 30s, were arrested during an operation held jointly by the General Operations Force with SFC and Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) Sarawak.
The woman had claimed that the birds belonged to her but could not produce any document of ownership or permit to carry the protected species of birds with her.
The local man was arrested when he tried to offer the enforcement personnel a bribe to release the woman and the birds after she was nabbed.
The woman could be charged under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance (WPO) 1998 while the male suspect could be charged
If you look up the internet or the Traffic International Report, you will see that magpie robin and white-rumped shama birds are highly sought in Indonesia not only to be kept as pets, but also to participate in bird- singing competitions. Oswald Braken Tisen