JAKARTA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Indonesia's Southwest Papua province have foiled an attempt to smuggle eight black-capped lories, a protected bird species endemic to Papua, officials said on Thursday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when officers from the Southwest Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) conducted a routine inspection on board the passenger ship KM Dobonsolo, which was docked at Sorong Public Port.
"During the inspection on deck three, our team found one black-capped lory, and upon further search, we discovered seven more. In total, eight birds were found, one of which was already dead," said BBKSDA head Genman Suhefti Hasibuan.
The confiscated birds were taken to the BBKSDA office in Sorong for further documentation and medical treatment.
Hasibuan noted that the black-capped lory, also known as the black-capped chattering lory, is a species native to Papua and is protected under Indonesian law. "These animals were suspected to be smuggled out of Papua to be kept as pets by certain parties outside the region," he said.
Hasibuan added that no arrests have been made, as no passengers have claimed ownership of the birds.
"We hope this smuggling practice will be stopped immediately. If left unchecked, the population of endemic Papuan animals such as the black-capped lory could face extinction," he said.