Hougang's Hell For Hornbills
I cannot begin to describe how heavy my heart felt recently when I found two huge Blyth's Hornbills being crammed into a tiny cage and put on sale at Chua's Pet Trading in Hougang. If there is any proverbial cupboard where skeletons are to be found in 'First World' Singapore, Hougang is one. It's the 'Guantanamo Bay' of Singapore... and freedom is taken away for no other crime than being 'wild and exotic' birds.What else can I say? : (
Beyond what I have just wrote, how do I begin to describe the intimacy with which our own freedom are tied to theirs? I am truly lost for words.
However, let me share this photo (above), and invite you to step back in time with me and witness how insistent the hornbills were at biting the cold hard wire of the cage. They just want to be free; as free as all wild birds are born to be.
Would you, my dear sentient friends, share your thoughts and feelings with me too? I look forward to post them faithfully here. Thank you.
WHEN THE BUYING STOPS, THE TRADING WILL TOO!
©Joseph Lai 2003
The above has been posted at the request of Joseph Lai to let as many people as possible know about the cruelty of this trade.
Labels: Illegal
posted by YC @ 10:32 am
4 comments
4 Comments:
Sorry, you need to refer to Joseph Lai at his blog. I am just publicising for him.
Yikes. Has a formal complaint/police report been lodged?
Sadly, some of this trade is LEGAL. As long as the exporting country is not bound by regulations such as CITES. I heard that some hornbills do come from the Solomons. But I do not know any more details other than that.
WIldlife trade is especially depressing. Toucans, snakes or even orang utans often pass borders unhindered. Furthermore, they are crammed into such small spaces and without food, or intoxicated by drugs to keep them unconscious, that they die. However, the minority that survive is enough to cover for the dead ones. That is the flaw of a quota on them illegal wildlife trafficking fine. Smugglers are then indirectly "encouraged" to smuggle more.
...yes, we have informed...
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