A friend on the Kentucky Native Plant Society Facebook page posted this
info.I thought it worth sharing in case folks want to keep their eyes out
for this activity:
went for a walk this evening on top of Iroquois Hill (Jefferson County); for
those unfamiliar with Iroquois Park, it was designed by Frederick Law
Olmsted; the top of Iroquois Hill has been converted into a wild meadow,
with interspersed mature trees and small ponds; I noticed a bird cage
attached to a tree - this was on the back side of one of the driving loops;
a black car was parked nearby; a man and a woman were outside the car; the
man walked over to the bird cage and unattached it from the tree; I was
curious so approached the vehicle; inside the cage was an indigo bunting; I
asked the man what he was doing; he replied that he bred them and canaries;
(I assume he later sold these); I told him what he was doing was illegal; I
stepped behind the vehicle to take a photo of his license plate; he stepped
in front of the plate to block my camera view; I memorized the number and
later called police when away from the scene; three metro cruisers answered
the call; one officer told me they were contacting Fish and Wildlife.
This was my first encounter with the illegal pet trade; the man seemed to
think his activity was ok; hard to say how long he has done it.
also reported incident to KSP who forwarded to K F&W, the license plate was
for an SUV in Daviess Co.
Patti Bell - Louisville
