African gray parrots get complete protection in DR Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned the capture and trade of African gray parrots, one of the world’s most trafficked birds, according to a national decree signed Aug. 13. Gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus), known for their intelligence and mimicry skills, are widely trapped from the wild for the international pet trade. This has decimated their populations across their range in Africa, including in DRC, where the birds have been partially protected since 2006. Gray parrots were assessed as endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2016, and were added to Appendix I of CITES, the global wildlife trade treaty, banning the international commercial trade in the species. The DRC government, however, entered a “reservation” to the CITES listing, declaring it would continue exporting gray parro