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About 70 finches were found hidden inside a shipment of hair
rollers at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday
when a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialist
inspected the unidentified male passenger's luggage. Some of the
birds had died enroute.
The birds may have been destined for sale to Guyanese immigrants
for a game that involves betting on how often the finches chirp
per minute, said Customs spokesman Anthony Bucci.
"They may ultimately wind up as a pet, but within the Guyanese
community that is the primary purpose," Bucci said.
The passenger was not admitted into the United States and was
sent back to Guyana, Bucci said.
The finches were quarantined and euthanized by the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services, an
agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Photos on the
CBP's Twitter page showed the birds squeezed into individual
hair rollers with small nets covering each end.
The birds can spread infections such as avian influenza,
commonly known as bird flu. A 2015 bird flu epidemic resulted in
the culling of 50 million commercial turkeys and chickens and
$850 million in damage, according to CBP officials.
(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Frank
McGurty and Leslie Adler)
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