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SQUAWKING FOILS PARROT SMUGGLER

OTTAWA -- A man illegally importing a macaw into Canada was caught when it started screaming from inside his briefcase at Customs.

Phat Tan Duong was almost through customs at Ottawa International Airport when the bird started making a noise. The squawking - described by witnesses as "more of a desperate scream" - caught the attention of a customs officer.

The would-be importer gave the briefcase a shake and tried to shuffle to another line, officials say. Officers seized the briefcase, which he'd carried on a flight from Edgewater, Florida to Ottawa.

The macaw was reportedly happier with its new handlers at a rare bird center.

The species lives in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America.


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