Global Trade In Exotic Pets Threatens Wild Parrots
A new study reports the danger to wild parrots from the global trade in exotic animals, particularly in the case of endangered parrot species. This danger is due to the detection, in eight new countries, of a virus known as beak and feather disease in wild parrots.
Given that many parrot species are at risk of extinction, these new data raise concerns, particularly for endangered species. This highlights the need for greater awareness of the risks of the spread of infectious diseases associated with the international trade in live parrots.
New countries where beak and feather disease has been found are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan, Nigeria, Seychelles, Vietnam, Senegal and Gambia. The presence of the disease was identified thanks to a study carried out by the Durrell Institute for Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent, in collaboration with other international entities.
Wild parrots threatened by trade in exotic animals
Parrots are among the most threatened groups of birds and are susceptible to several infectious diseases. They are also among the most traded birds under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Illegal trade has fueled the cross-border movement of nearly 20 million parrots since 1975.
This movement helped to establish diverse populations of parrots outside their native ranges, in particular the collared parakeet. The collared parakeet is a highly invasive species that currently has breeding populations in more than 35 countries on five continents.
The first detection of beak and feather disease in wild parrots native to South, Southeast Asia and West Africa carried out in this study highlights the need for more research in these regions, and may have implications for the conservation of vulnerable species that also inhabit these regions. areas.
This study indicates that there are very close relationships between the genetic sequences of wild populations in globally distinct regions, and that there have been multiple introduction events in West Africa.
The disease of the beak and the feather
Parrot beak and feather disease (PBFD), caused by the beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), is an infectious disease commonly found in captive-bred parrots.
The beak and feather disease in wild parrots is believed to have originated in Australasia. This disease is a well-known cause of infectious disease in captive parrots.
Affected birds can develop feather anomalies, claw and beak deformities, and the disease can lead to eventual death, particularly in the younger population.
All psittaciformes are susceptible to infection. The immunosuppressive nature of BFDV increases the host’s susceptibility to secondary infection.
The spread of BFDV may be caused by the international trade in live parrots and other exotic pets, and by its high environmental persistence and transmissibility between closely related host species.
Increasing reports of BFDV infections in wild populations, both native and introduced, including several populations of threatened species, have raised concerns about the conservation implications of the infection’s spread.
According to researchers, success in establishing invasive species can be devastating for populations on small islands or endangered species.
This would not only occur through competition for resources, but also by exposing them to a virus such as PBFD, which can pose a significant additional threat to species that are already suffering the pressures of low genetic diversity and loss of their habitat.
Tips for protecting wild parrots
The study authors suggest that decisions regarding the movement and transport of parrots should include a disease risk analysis that calculates the likelihood of prior exposure or infection and the potential risk this poses to wild populations.
According to the study authors, it is particularly important that these biosecurity risks are considered in regions of high conservation importance, both for endangered parrots and for other bird species at risk of infection.
In addition, they recommend paying attention to the systematic examination of parrots in the exotic pet trade.
Likewise, conservation professionals, parrot breeders, law enforcement officials, and others related to endangered parrots must remember their responsibility and the importance of intensifying efforts for all wild and captive parrot populations throughout the world. world.
