<p>Dozens of parrots stuffed into plastic water bottles have been discovered on a ship docked in Indonesia's Papua region, authorities said Friday.</p>.<p>Police in the town of Fakfak said the vessel's crew reported hearing noises coming from a large box where 64 live black-capped lories and another 10 dead birds were found Thursday morning.</p>.<p>Black-capped lories are a type of parrot native to New Guinea and nearby smaller islands.</p>.<p>"The ship's crew told us that they suspected there were animals inside the box as they heard strange noises," said local police spokesman Dodik Junaidi.</p>.<p>No arrests had been made so far and the birds' intended destination was unclear, he added.</p>.<p>The vast jungles of Indonesia are home to more than 130 threatened bird species, according to wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC, more than any other country except Brazil.</p>.<p>But there is also large-scale illegal trading of birds, which sees them sold in giant avian markets in Indonesia's major cities or smuggled abroad.</p>.<p>Exotic birds are usually poached and trafficked by smuggling gangs for sale as pets and status symbols.</p>.<p>Certain species of bird, such as the Australian palm cockatoo, can sell for as much as $30,000 on the black market.</p>.<p>In 2017, Indonesian authorities found some 125 exotic birds stuffed inside drain pipes during a wildlife smuggling raid.</p>
<p>Dozens of parrots stuffed into plastic water bottles have been discovered on a ship docked in Indonesia's Papua region, authorities said Friday.</p>.<p>Police in the town of Fakfak said the vessel's crew reported hearing noises coming from a large box where 64 live black-capped lories and another 10 dead birds were found Thursday morning.</p>.<p>Black-capped lories are a type of parrot native to New Guinea and nearby smaller islands.</p>.<p>"The ship's crew told us that they suspected there were animals inside the box as they heard strange noises," said local police spokesman Dodik Junaidi.</p>.<p>No arrests had been made so far and the birds' intended destination was unclear, he added.</p>.<p>The vast jungles of Indonesia are home to more than 130 threatened bird species, according to wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC, more than any other country except Brazil.</p>.<p>But there is also large-scale illegal trading of birds, which sees them sold in giant avian markets in Indonesia's major cities or smuggled abroad.</p>.<p>Exotic birds are usually poached and trafficked by smuggling gangs for sale as pets and status symbols.</p>.<p>Certain species of bird, such as the Australian palm cockatoo, can sell for as much as $30,000 on the black market.</p>.<p>In 2017, Indonesian authorities found some 125 exotic birds stuffed inside drain pipes during a wildlife smuggling raid.</p>