Canberra failed to probe rare bird exports: report FAILURE: Allegations that the ‘true purpose of the exports was commercial’ were received shortly after the first permits were issued, the report found The Guardian The Australian Department of the Environment and Energy failed to investigate allegations endangered and rare birds were being sold in Europe at a huge profit and instead continued issuing permits to allow more birds to be exported to a secretive German charity, an independent review has found. The investigation by KPMG was triggered after the Guardian Australia revealed that hundreds of birds, including endangered species, were exported to the Berlin-based Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) on the grounds that they would be used for a zoo exhibition.