I trained an informant to take photographs and had him document how villagers managed to catch adult African grey parrots. This series is from the remote interior near Inongo.
The hunt for parrots to capture for the pet trade occurs in the savannas. The grasses are burned off every season, which causes a regrowth of the plants. The hunts are timed around this, due to the fact that the parrots are attracted to the new, green shoots.
The first image shows a man with "glue sticks" that are fashioned from the central rib of palm fronds and coated with a glue made from plant ingredients.
The next photograph shows two parrot decoys that are critical for a successful hunt. The decoys are carved of lightweight wood and painted with powdered limestone and ashes to give the grey coloration. The tail is a strip of red cloth.
Finally, the villagers need a live bird, who will give the proper sound and movement to the scene to be set. Here a parrot is restrained with feet on the wings, and knife handle across the neck to tie it up, to be staked out.
It is pre-dawn and the props are ready. To be continued...
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