Canada must stop being an open route for the exotic wildlife trade!

Recently, CTV exposed a heartbreaking story of more than 50 exotic birds who were shipped from South America through Vancouver International Airport on their way to Japan. One toucan was found dead and several birds were suffering without food.

Shockingly, these birds were sent on to their final destination with no repercussions whatsoever. This incident is just one small example of the suffering inflicted on exotic animals exploited by global trade.

As many as 75 percent of parrots taken from the wild die from stress, disease, rough handling, crushing, asphyxiation or dehydration during capture and transport. To feed the demand of the exotic bird market, baby birds are stolen straight from their nests as eggs or chicks while their helpless parents look on.

Once they are captured, the birds are subjected to incredibly harsh conditions during transport — shoved into overcrowded and poorly ventilated containers without protection from fluctuating temperatures and are not provided with adequate food and water.

Birds come to Canada from as far away as Africa, Asia and South America. Canada also serves as a stopover for shipments of birds on their way to other countries. While the United States, the European Union and others have essentially banned the import of wild-caught birds, Canada has yet to follow suit, leaving Canada open as a route for the exotic trade market.

Join the BC SPCA and call on the federal government to end the international and domestic trade of exotic birds and other wild animals now!