Pictures from wild green peacock in Northern Thailand and Java

[Yoda]

Ok I wrote to our USDA /APHIS office asking about the ban on peafowl. Hope this helps both sides is getting the ban removed. Here is my Email (blue text) and the reply (red text) I received:

Hi,
Can you please tell me how long the ban will last to import peafowl from Northern Thailand? It is considered poultry and I was looking into Importing a trio (1 male and 2 females) of wild Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus imperator). If I am allowed to import them can you please tell me what paperwork I will need.
Thank you for your time, it is much appriciated,

Hello, I received your email inquiry about the current US ban on Thailand. The ban has been in place for several years and will be removed once Thailand has satisfied our criteria that will allow the US to consider them to be free from highly pathogenic avian influenza. When the country will present scientific data to our government that represents their surveillance and eradication efforts, is undetermined. Until such activity takes place by Thailand, the ban will remain in place. We are allowing pet birds only to import from such affected countries, but do not allow poultry of any type, to import. Your proposed import would not be allowed.
Sincerely,

Dr. Helm


Bettina T. Helm DVM., MPH
Avian Import Specialist, Live Animal Imports
National Center for Import and Export
USDA/ APHIS/VS
PH. 301/851-3300, Option #2
Fax: 301/734-6402
email: [email protected]

 

[zazouse]

Well how about that , Great going Yoda, now we know.

 

[destinduck]

Interesting. You would think it would be no problem whatsoever for birds to get tested for AI in Thailand prior to shipping.

 

[casportpony]

Interesting. You would think it would be no problem whatsoever for birds to get tested for AI in Thailand prior to shipping.

I used to work in the high-tech industry and I know that things are done very differently there. Yes, the same things go on here, but not like they do there. Not sure I would trust any documentation...

 

[destinduck]

Could very well be. All Im saying is Its pretty dang simple for anyone to test for AI. But then again , maybe the Thais just havent been reliable in the past on this simple test ing matter is all I can figure too

 

[Arbor]

Looks as though there may be ways around this. How long does a bird have to be in one country before it can be exported again? Hence why someone could import to Germany or another country, and then maybe export them directly to the US? There are often some simple ways (though maybe more costly) to bypass bans/regulations. I had proposed a few times to offer AI (Artificial Insemination) material for those in Australia if they only looked into their own import requirements. Certainly they import semen for other animals such as dairy cattle? This wouldn't give them the birds directly, and they would have to work with splits for a few years, but it seems a route that may be possible. - I dunno, just my thoughts.....

 

[PeaChecker]

Hello Arbor,
this is not so easy with protected animals, due to the whole CITES procedure.
You nees somebody in Germany or other countries who has the permit to keep the birds and who will get import approval. Then you have to wait some time (I don't know exactly but I heard 6 month) and then you have to make everything again.
Regards
PeaChecker

 

[Arbor]

Hello Arbor,
this is not so easy with protected animals, due to the whole CITES procedure.
You nees somebody in Germany or other countries who has the permit to keep the birds and who will get import approval. Then you have to wait some time (I don't know exactly but I heard 6 month) and then you have to make everything again.
Regards
PeaChecker

I never said it was easy, and obviously you would have to know someone in the intermediate country to deal with the hassle, the point I was trying to raise was that if you can't import directly, there are other methods. If the intermediate country does not have the same requirements as the US to import birds, but also meets the US requirement for exporting, its seems to me if you want them bad enough its a way to do it.

 

[leo7]

Four friends harmony in the jungle

 

[new 2 pfowl]

What a great picture!
Thanks again for sharing.