50 African grey parrots freed in DRC after year of rehabilitation
The birds were freed in Maniema Province by the Lukuru Foundation, a local conservation group that has rescued, treated and reintroduced hundreds of parrots into their natural habitats.
Fifty African grey parrots have been released back into the wild in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after a year of rehabilitation following their rescue from wildlife traffickers.
The birds, Mongabay reports, were freed in early October in Maniema Province by the Lukuru Foundation, a local conservation group that has rescued, treated and reintroduced hundreds of parrots into their natural habitats.
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The foundation, which operates several rehabilitation centres across the country, has now cared for and released nearly 400 African grey parrots recovered from the illegal bird trade.
The rescued birds were among hundreds recovered following anti-trafficking operations carried out by the DRC's conservation agency, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN).
Many arrived at rehabilitation sites malnourished, dehydrated, and with clipped or broken wings, injuries that left them unable to fly.
At Lukuru's Maniema sanctuary, the birds were cared for and nursed back to health before officials deemed them ready for release.
The organisation also runs rehabilitation centres in Lodja (Sankuru), Dingi (Maniema), and Kisangani, where a new parrot conservation centre was opened in April 2025 in partnership with ICCN. By September, the Kisangani site had already received 112 rescued parrots.
According to Lukuru's Terese Hart, caring for 100 parrots costs between $1,300 (Sh167,973) and $2,900 (Sh374,709) per month, depending on the site, while building an aviary costs over $1,000.
"The cost ranges from $1,300 in Lodja, $2,200 (Sh284,262) at Kisangani Zoo, and $2,900 (Sh374,955) in Dingi. Building an aviary amounts to over $1,000 (Sh129,210) and varies depending on the cost of materials and labour. We have seven aviaries in Dingi, three in Kisangani and one in Lodja," she told Mongabay.
In the DRC, African grey parrots can sell for between $6 (Sh775) to $100 (Sh12,291) per bird, while on international markets they may fetch $1,500 (Sh193,815) or more, making them a lucrative target for traffickers. Most captured parrots pass through hubs such as Kisangani and are smuggled across borders before reaching wealthy buyers overseas.
In July 2025, the DRC's Environment Ministry issued a decree banning the capture, possession and sale of African grey parrots nationwide, expanding an earlier provincial ban in Tshopo, whose capital, Kisangani, is a key hub for illegal parrot trade.
Despite the ban, conservationists have warned that poaching continues in remote communities.
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