Over 30 tropical birds have been stolen from the Avifauna bird park in Alphen aan den Rijn. The bird park says the thieves appear to have known what they were doing and mainly took valuable breeding pairs.

The stolen birds include toucans, mynas and 16 hornbills. Some were incubating eggs or looking after young birds and the theft will also have an impact on international breeding programmes which Avifauna is part of.

The bird park says it expects the birds will end up in the illegal animal trade. ‘These species require very specialist care and are only in a few zoos worldwide,’ the organisation said.

However, the birds are all ringed and have a microchip, making it possible they will be traced.

In January, a family of two adult and three young rare minature apes were  stolen from the Apenheul primate park in Apeldoorn by thieves who broke in and stole their night shelter.