Across the globe, parrots are confiscated from trade with shocking regularity. Many more shipments are undetected with tragic results. Birds being transported from the wild can suffer dehydration, malnutrition, injury and often death.

The unpredictable nature of illegal trade means that ensuring rescued parrots get the emergency care they need can be hugely challenging. In response to requests from law enforcement agencies and organisations involved in confiscations, WPT’s Flyfree Program has worked with veterinarians and field practitioners with experience in a wide range of situations to develop a practical guide on the care of parrots for first responders. The manual is intended to support frontline rescue staff with little or no experience managing confiscated wildlife, providing them with the information needed to preserve life in situations with minimal resources available and to move parrots rapidly to more stable situations. There are now English, Spanish, Papiamento and Indonesian language versions, with more to come.