London, Jan 3 (IANS): A total of 211 protected parrots taken from Paraguay's remote forests have been rescued and four people arrested, a media report said.
Many of the rescued parrots, identified as blue-fronted Amazon parrots, were still juveniles seized from their nests, the Sky News quoted Paraguayan environmental ministry veterinarian Carlos Britos as saying Wednesday.
The birds, he said, were being cared for by government biologists in a national park, and would be returned to the wild once they were able to fly.
The birds are among those most commonly kept as pets in this South American country.
Stealing wild animals and plants is a crime in Paraguay - punishable by up to eight years in prison.