Thieves broke into the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo early Thursday, stealing six rare parrots and about 20 lorikeets in what police subsequently discovered was a targeted wildlife trafficking operation.

On Friday, the Israel Police announced that Border Police officers and Israel Nature and Parks Authority inspectors found 36 parrots worth some 1.2 million shekels ($330,000) during a raid of the Palestinian Authority village of Hableh, near Qalqilya in western Samaria.

According to the police, the suspect in Thursday’s parrot heist, identified only as a resident of the country’s south, went to Hableh to sell the birds.

The birds were part of international breeding programs aimed at conserving endangered species. Their loss would be a major setback to global conservation efforts, the zoo said on Thursday.

“This was a professional job. They knew what to take,” said zoo director Sigalit Hertz.

Image - Lorikeet parrots seen at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo on July 2, 2013. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90