A Thousand Birds Get Second Chance at Life After Smuggling Foiled in Labuan Bajo

RRI.CO.ID, Kupang – What began as a routine port inspection at Wae Kelambu Multi-Purpose Terminal in Labuan Bajo ended with the rescue of a thousand wild birds destined for the bustling bird markets of Surabaya. The birds have since been returned to the wild, marking a significant win for wildlife conservation in eastern Indonesia.

The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) confirmed that 1,000 Lowland White-eye birds (Zosterops chloris), locally known as burung pleci or kacamata laut, were released into their natural habitat on Saturday, May 9, 2026. The release came just one day after their illegal transport was successfully intercepted at the port on Friday, May 8, 2026.

"They were released into the open wild on Saturday last week, after the smuggling attempt was foiled at Wae Kelambu Port, Labuan Bajo, on Friday," said BBKSDA NTT Head, Adhi Nurul Hadi, when confirmed in Kupang on Monday, May 11, 2026.

He explained that the release was carried out at Nggorang Bowosie Protected Forest, located in Komodo Subdistrict, West Manggarai Regency. The operation involved close coordination between local administration authorities, community groups, the National Police, and the Indonesian Navy.

"This release aims to save every individual that was secured, boost the wild population, and serve as an educational process to raise public awareness," said Adhi, as quoted by Antara.

Beyond the White-eye birds, two other protected species were also released during the operation, the Flores Whistler (Pachycephala nudigula) and the Pied Stonechat (Saxicola caprata).

A suspect, identified by the initials MS, remains under investigation by the relevant authorities. According to his own admission, the birds were partly caught by the suspect himself and partly purchased from local communities in the Maumere area, Sikka Regency.

Purchase prices for the birds were relatively low. The Lowland White-eye was bought at between IDR 3,000 and IDR 5,000 (USD 0.18–0.30) per bird, the Pied Stonechat between IDR 20,000 and IDR 25,000 (USD 1.22–1.52) per bird, and the Flores Whistler between IDR 200,000 and IDR 300,000 (USD 12.20–18.29) per bird.

When intercepted, the birds were found packed inside cardboard boxes and bird cages, loaded onto a truck aboard a vessel bound for Surabaya, East Java. Had they reached their destination, the birds would have been resold at Surabaya's bird markets at IDR 12,000 (USD 0.73) per Lowland White-eye, IDR 50,000 (USD 3.05) per Pied Stonechat, and IDR 550,000 (USD 33.54) per Flores Whistler. ***