More than 1,000 songbirds rescued

In safe hands: Some of the songbirds valued at RM150,000 being kept in cages after Perhilitan officers seized them during an operation in Johor.

JOHOR BARU: More than 1,000 songbirds that were being prepared to be smuggled into a neighbouring country have been rescued by the Johor Wildlife and National Park Department (Perhilitan).State Perhilitan director Salman Saaban said that a team of enforcement officers found the birds during a check at a house located in Taman Wawasan in Kulai at around 7.30pm on Friday.

“A Toyota Estima was parked at the house and further inspection of the vehicle and the house unveiled 70 White-Rumped Shama (murai batu) birds and 1,000 Oriental Magpie-robin birds (murai kampung), ” he said here yesterday.