Of the 27 cases, 14 cases involved mammals, two birds, two primates, four fish, four reptiles, and one flora, the ministrys Director General for Law Enforcement Rasio Ridho Sani stated here, Monday.
Large mammals such as Sumatran elephants are being increasingly killed due to illegal poaching by ivory traders and human-elephant conflicts following their dwindling natural habitats in Sumatras forests, he explained.
Endangered orangutans were also killed, as they were often viewed as pests, particularly by plantation owners.
The ministry recently seized tens of yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) in Tanjung Perak seaport, Surabaya, East Java.
The protected birds were smuggled via a passenger ship Tidar serving Papua, Ambon, Makkasar, Surabaya, and Jakarta route.
The endangered yellow-crested cockatoos were found stuffed into empty 1.5-liter mineral water bottles and were in a poor condition.
Yellow-crested cockatoo has been listed as an endangered species since 2007.
It is estimated that only seven thousand yellow-crested cockatoos exist in the world.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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