Parrot Poop Could Expose Wildlife Traffickers

Rene Ebersole from WIRE shared something wild — and weirdly hopeful.

Researchers are studying whether a bird’s microbiome can help reveal if they were raised in captivity or taken from the wild.

Why does that matter?

Because traffickers can claim a bird is “captive-bred” on paper, but science may be able to show a different story.

Wild birds eat varied foods, fly long distances, interact with their flock, and live in complex natural environments. Captive birds often have a very different microbiome.

If this testing can be standardized and used globally, it could help expose illegal wildlife trade that is currently almost impossible to detect.

Tiny poop sample. Huge impact. 🦜

Listen to the full conversation in Episode 14 of the Squawk Global podcast.

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Видео Parrot Poop Could Expose Wildlife Traffickers канала Squawk Global