Officials freed the birds from the bottles, but many were weak and several later died.

Cockatoos were classified as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 2007.

CNN reports that wildlife smuggling is big business in Indonesia, and the water bottle method is commonly used to smuggle birds.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com