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Baby Birds Rescued from Wildlife Traffickers in Brazil

Two baby parrots, barely a month old and showing signs of malnourishment, were brought to the desk of Alice Soares de Oliveira — a veterinarian at CeMaCAS, a wildlife Conservation center near São Paulo, Brazil. Delivered in a dirty cardboard box, the featherless birds were victims of wildlife trafficking. Shortly after, two young toucans, also poached from the wild, arrived at the center. All four birds had been advertised for sale on social media platforms before being rescued by local authorities.

Wildlife trafficking has increasingly shifted online, where social media has become a major tool for illegal traders. A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational and Organized Crime highlighted hundreds of advertisements for protected species across Brazil and South Africa in just three months, with the majority originating on platforms like Facebook. “Online spaces now provide the means for many of the world’s most endangered, most highly protected species to find consumers,” said Simone Haysom of the Global Initiative.

Experts note that the pandemic exacerbated this trend. As traditional markets shut down, traffickers turned to the internet, where transactions are harder to track. Despite efforts by companies like Meta, which removed millions of posts related to wildlife trafficking in 2023, advocates say much more needs to be done. Crawford Allan of the World Wildlife Fund emphasized the importance of regulating these platforms, noting that some companies still fall short.

At CeMaCAS, hope remains for the rescued birds. With dedicated care, Soares de Oliveira is optimistic that the parrots and toucans will fully recover and return to the wild within a few months. “They are still young and we are observing them,” she said. “But in three months, I think they can have a free life.”