{"id":2191798,"date":"2026-06-30T18:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T16:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/test-platform5\/?p=2191798"},"modified":"2026-07-11T15:03:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T13:03:56","slug":"seizures-reveal-macabre-grey-parrot-blood-trade-in-cameroon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/test-platform5\/seizures-reveal-macabre-grey-parrot-blood-trade-in-cameroon\/","title":{"rendered":"Seizures reveal macabre grey parrot blood trade in Cameroon"},"content":{"rendered":"

The blood of African grey parrots is emerging as a new, macabre illegal wildlife product traded in Cameroon, analysts from\u00a0TRAFFIC, a nonprofit that monitors wildlife trafficking,\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n

This grim trade in grey parrots, an\u00a0endangered\u00a0species long coveted by exotic bird collectors, first came to light in 2025, when forest officials patrolling Cameroon\u2019s Lob\u00e9k\u00e9 National Park caught trappers with live birds and interrogated them.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoachers entering the park trap live birds, then kill them, extract their blood and transport them,\u201d said Biloa Donatien Joseph Guy, the park\u2019s conservator, adding that they haul the blood in bottles and jerry cans \u2014 normally used to carry fuel. While park authorities haven\u2019t seized blood from apprehended suspects, poachers have been caught with live birds. Further investigations into these cases are ongoing.<\/p>\n

When last assessed by the IUCN in 2020, grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus<\/em>), native to the rainforests of West and Central Africa, were declining, largely because of the pet trade.<\/p>\n

These beautiful, long-lived birds are among the most intelligent animals on the planet, thought to be\u00a0as smart as a\u00a05<\/a>-year-old child. These parrots \u2018talk,\u2019 mimicking human speech with uncanny accuracy, making them a popular pet. They appear in videos across\u00a0TikTok and YouTube,\u00a0further fueling the demand.<\/p>\n

As a result, these birds have been poached to near-extinction, commanding exorbitant prices from collectors worldwide. Between 1982 and 2001, more than 1.3 million\u00a0wild-caught grey parrots entered the international trade, according to IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority, making them one of the most trafficked birds on the planet. Scientists estimate that only about 40,000-100,000 remain in the wild in West Asia.<\/p>\n

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\"African<\/a>
African grey parrots are one of the most trafficked birds in the world, \u00a0sought after as pets. These intelligent birds can \u2018talk\u2019 by mimicking human speech. Image by ucumari photography via\u00a0Flickr\u00a0(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

They\u2019re also hunted for their body parts. Their bright red tail feathers are used in religious practices. Because of their proficiency in \u2018speaking,\u2019 their heads are used in rituals based on the belief they can cure\u00a0speech impediments, according to the conservation nonprofit Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The birds are also locally hunted as bushmeat.<\/p>\n

Parrot parts are often seized along with other illegal wildlife products, such as elephant tusks, pangolin scales and gorilla parts, suggesting that organized criminal networks operating internationally are involved. Parrot parts are also sold online.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are observing a clear convergence between physical markets and online trade,\u201d Bricette Nguemwo, a researcher at TRAFFIC, said in the press release. \u201cWhat once appeared localized is now showing signs of structured and possibly networked trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/a>
The bright red tail feathers of the bird are used in belief-based practices in parts of Africa. Image by ganiya via\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0(CC BY-NC 4.0).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

A stronghold of grey parrots<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lob\u00e9k\u00e9 National Park, located in the Congo Basin in southeast Cameroon, is one of this parrot\u2019s few remaining strongholds and has been a poaching hotspot. About\u00a0100,000 were caught each year in Cameroon\u00a0in the 1990s and 2000s. Some 80% of those are believed to have come from the park.<\/p>\n

Their declining numbers in the wild prompted Cameroon to declare the bird as a protected species in 2017. Poaching, trapping, owning or selling these birds is illegal, and offenders face penalties as high as\u00a050 million CFA (about $88,000 at current exchange rates) and\/or jail time ranging from 15-20 years.<\/p>\n

All international commercial trade in African grey parrots is prohibited under CITES, the global wildlife trade treaty.<\/p>\n

But that hasn\u2019t deterred poachers. The birds continue to be illegally trapped in Lob\u00e9k\u00e9, said Momballa-Mbun Constant, a senior research officer at TRAFFIC who works with communities living around the park as well as the authorities who protect it. TRAFFIC learned about the parrot blood trade during discussions with them in 2026, Constant said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we heard about it, we were taken aback,\u201d he said, adding that he feared the trade might undo years of hard work to conserve the species. \u201cWe\u2019re very worried about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unrelenting trade, along with\u00a0deforestation in the Congo Basin, has meant these rainforests are losing a key species vital for regenerating the landscape. \u201cGrey parrot populations have collapsed in numerous places due to unsustainable trade,\u201d said Rowan Martin, who works as the bird trade director at the\u00a0World Parrot Trust. \u201cCommunities are losing their natural heritage, and ecosystems are losing species that carry out important functions such as dispersing seeds.\u201d Because parrots eat fruits, nuts, seeds and flowers, they plant the next generation of trees and plants.<\/p>\n

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\"African<\/a>
African grey parrots, native to Western and Central Africa, roost in large groups. Image \u00a9 aliceantares via\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0(CC BY-NC 4.0).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

A \u2018concerning\u2019 trade never heard before<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While African grey parrots have been heavily trafficked for decades, Martin calls this new blood trade \u201cconcerning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough we see many other parrot derivatives sold in markets, including even feces, we have not come across trade in blood before,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n

In Cameroon, belief-based practitioners use the blood of certain animals and birds for numerous reasons: as a sacrifice to protect people, to bring good luck or for spiritual healing, said Anya Dabite, a Cameroon-based wildlife trade researcher with the\u00a0International Bird Conservation Partnership, who has studied similar use of forest hornbills in the country\u2019s wildlife markets. But he\u2019s never seen parrot blood sold there or heard about it.<\/p>\n

So far, this trade has only been reported from the area around Lob\u00e9k\u00e9 National Park. Authorities believe people from local communities may be involved in trapping the birds. But there\u2019s no data on the scale of this trade or who is buying the blood.<\/p>\n

Sharing what little is known can help law enforcement authorities as they gather intelligence on this trade and coordinate their activities, Constant said. \u201cWe hope that those who have dedicated funds for protection of parrots could use this information and maybe step up investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to determine whether this is a localized phenomenon serving local markets or whether blood is being transported to serve demand in larger, distant markets,\u201d Martin said. \u201cFurther investigations will help understand the nature of the issue and inform ways to address it.\u201d<\/p>\n

This commerce in blood also points to a disturbing trend: With some species, traffickers are switching to hard-to-spot wildlife products, making it even more difficult to stop the trade.<\/p>\n

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\"African<\/a>
African grey parrots play a vital role in rainforests as seed dispersers and pollinators, helping regenerate these forests. Image \u00a9 Zein et Carlo via\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0(CC BY-NC 4.0).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhat we are seeing is a deliberate move away from live birds towards wildlife products that are harder to detect, such as blood, skulls and feathers, but which originate from the same killing of a strictly protected species,\u201d Constant said.<\/p>\n

Disease is another concern. Psittacine beak and feather disease, caused by a highly contagious, often-deadly virus, infects parrots and other birds. Parrot fever (psittacosis<\/em>), a bacterial infection that\u2019s carried by pet birds and poultry, can infect humans, usually causing mild illness, but it can also lead to pneumonia. Handling blood could make these illnesses easier to spread.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are very real risks of the transfer of viruses, bacteria and blood-borne parasites to human populations with unpredictable consequences,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n

This article <\/a>by Spoorthy Raman was first published by Mongabay on 25 June 2026. Lead Image: African grey parrot is an endangered species native to Central and West Africa. Image by \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0440\u0430 \u0418\u0432\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0438\u043d\u0430 via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0).
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