Hello and thank you for downloading witness from the BBC World Service with me Ashley Byrne.

Today we're taking you back 20 years to when a well-known ornithologist was convicted of smuggling

endangered birds into the United States.

I've been speaking to Sergio Acosta who was the prosecutor during the high-profile trial.

It's November the 18th, 1996, and a court in Chicago has sentenced Tony Silver, a world-renowned

expert and defender of exotic birds to seven years in prison and a fine of $100,000.

His crime, smuggling more than a hundred endangered Hyacinthma cores and many other birds into the United States,

with an estimated net value of over 1.3 million dollars.

I believe at the time and I don't know if it's still the case it was the most severe sentence imposed in the United States for wildlife smuggling

said you a costa was a federal prosecutor on the case

I don't believe Silva or his lawyer saw it coming. The particular judge that we were in front of was Elaine Bucklow who's not necessarily known as being a severe

sentencer in criminal cases but I think she was moved by the evidence in the case,

the suffering that many of these creatures went through as a result of the smuggling plot. According to evidence at the trial, many of the smuggled birds, including Hyacinth macaws, Tocco Tukans, and Queen of Bavaria caniers, had been stuffed

into cardboard containers for the journey to the United States from South America.

Others hidden in false bottom suitcases.

Often without food, water or fresh air, many didn't survive the long journey.

They would be anesthetize, sometimes they would be placed in a PVC pipe to keep them quiet.

Oftentimes they suffered from different diseases.

This was a big deal at the time, wasn't it?

A big case?

Yeah, it was a very big case.

There were over 100 witnesses involved,

...