Indonesian police found dozens of parrots stuffed in plastic bottles on a ship docked in its eastern region of Papua.
Police on Thursday discovered 74 live parrots, 10 of which died in transport, after hearing noises coming from inside a large container.
The birds were identified as black-capped lories, a type of parrot native to New Guinea and nearby islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
Indonesia is home to the highest number of threatened bird species in Asia and widespread illegal trade in birds, according to BBC.
Birds are sold domestically in black markets or smuggled abroad.
The destination of the parrots found in the port town of Fakfak was unclear, police spokesperson Dodik Junaidi told AFP news.
"The ship's crew told us that they suspected there were animals inside the box as they heard strange noises," he said.
No arrests have been made so far.
This is not the first time birds have been discovered inside plastic bottles.
In 2015, Indonesian police arrested a man who tried to smuggle 21 yellow-crested cockatoos in plastic bottles.
