Rafiki Adventure Tours Uganda

Jane Goodall releases Grey Parrots

African Grey Parrots released in Uganda

On Friday 12th July, Jane Goodall released 17 African Grey Parrots back into the wild on Ngamba Island, a chimpanzee sanctuary located in Lake Victoria. The release by the well- known chimpanzee expert and conservation leader meant the end of a three years captivity and a return to their wild lives in Africa.
It was April 2010 when a group of 108 African Grey Parrots were smuggled out of Africa but got intercepted at the Sofia Airport in Bulgaria. The poached birds were traveling from Lebanon to Europe. Sadly many of them died. Because the exact location of where the parrots were poached was not known, it took two years for Bulgaria to decide that the exotic birds should be returned to Uganda, where trapping is not allowed. By giving back the parrot’s freedom and release them in their natural habitat, Uganda is trying to restore the species to its historic range.
Photo: Showing three of the African Grey Parrots after their release – by Charles Bergman.
View more photos of the release at Fly Free.