The Osaka Prefectural Police handed over a gray parrot they had acquired as a misplaced item to the head of an animal welfare organization, not realizing that the bird belonged to a rare species, according to information obtained by the Mainichi Shimbun.
The 48-year-old leader reportedly gave away the large parrot to someone they know without informing the Ministry of the Environment, which led to an inquiry by the Nara Prefectural Police due to potential violations of the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Although the Osaka Prefectural Police assert that their processes were adequate, those who supplied them with information have contested this, arguing that the initial response was inadequate. They believe that the situation would not have arisen if it had been managed correctly from the start.
Listed under CITES Appendix I due to its endangered status
Grey parrots are a type of giant parrot native to Africa. The bird is about 30 centimeters tall and has a grey body and vibrant red tail feather. It is highly intelligent, often compared to a 5-year-old in human terms, and learns words well.
Following the surge in popularity of gray parrots as pet birds globally, their population plummeted because of excessive hunting. In 2016, this bird was included in Appendix I of CITES, which encompasses endangered species where international trade primarily aimed at commerce is generally banned according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Starting from 2017, pet stores in Japan were authorized to sell only gray parrots that had been registered with the Japan Wildlife Research Center, an organization established under public interest. These centers handle registrations for the government’s Environmental Ministry. Unregistered gray parrots may not be sold between private parties; instead, they can only be transferred to educational facilities like universities or zoos following approval from the Minister of the Environment.
More than three months prior to identifying the bird as a rare species
According to Osaka Prefectural Police and parties concerned, the grey parrot in question was brought into Osaka Prefectural Police's Higashiyodogawa Police Station as a lost item on Dec. 15, 2022. The station did not report the bird to a zoo or the Environment Ministry, and contacted a woman whom they apparently had "entrusted" with other animals in the past. The following day, the woman brought the bird home and began taking care of it.
With the bird's rightful owner not being found during the two-week storage period, its ownership was transferred to the woman on Jan. 4, 2023. From the next month on, the woman looked for a new owner on social media through an agent. She also reportedly negotiated with some applicants on the premise that they pay around 200,000 to 300,000 yen (approx. $1,370 to $2,050) in transfer expenses.
Those concerned who learned of these developments reported the case to the police station on March 10, 2023. Five days later, the station inquired with relevant organizations, and apparently found out for the first time that the giant parrot was actually a grey parrot classed as a rare species.
Osaka Prefectural Police filed a document with the environment ministry concerning the transfer of the grey parrot dated March 22, 2023. The prefectural police said they told the woman that handing the bird over to others constitutes a violation of the endangered species conservation law.
The woman apparently handed over the parrot to an acquaintance around that August, and Nara Prefectural Police arrested the woman in February this year on suspicion of violating the endangered species conservation law. The woman was later released and has since been undergoing voluntary questioning.
The woman reportedly admitted to the allegations and told investigators, "I handed over the bird believing that it would be able to live a happier life if someone raised it with care." While she headed the animal rights group whose facility is located in Nara Prefecture, she resigned from the post after her arrest.
Grey parrot 'had a foot ring'
Regarding why Osaka Prefectural Police did not inquire with the environment ministry or a zoo when the bird was reported as a lost item, the prefectural police's accounting division stated, "We don't necessarily confirm with specialized agencies about all of the animals reported as lost items. We take a case-by-case approach."
The Osaka police argue that the transfer of the bird to the animal rights group leader was based on the Lost Property Act. The police noted that their series of actions was appropriate on the grounds that the bird's ownership was already transferred to the group leader when it was discovered that the bird was a rare species, and that they had since filed reports with the Environment Ministry and other relevant bodies.
According to the parties concerned, however, the woman had likely been aware from the beginning that the bird was a grey parrot. On Dec. 17, 2022, shortly after she was handed the bird from the police station, she texted to her group members via the Line messaging app, "The bird has a foot ring, but it turned out that it wasn't registered after I had the number checked."
The Osaka Prefectural Police's accounting division stated, "Because our staff in charge have changed, we are not sure if our personnel were even aware of the foot ring at the time."
The Environment Ministry stated that it "is unable to provide comments on specific instances."
The individuals who supplied information to the Osaka police were upset with the woman’s behavior, stating, “The gray parrot had a leg band on it. Had the authorities initially looked into this matter and taken standard steps like contacting pertinent groups, the bird wouldn’t have ended up with her, and none of these events would have transpired.”
At present, the grey parrot seems to be housed in a well-outfitted establishment.
(Japanese original by Ayane Matsuyama, Digital News Group, and Tomotatsu Yamaguchi from the Nagoya News Department)