KINGSTON, Jamaica—Emerging dancehall deejay Currentzicks recently shocked a large audience which turned up at a stage show in Mandeville to perform his popular song, ‘Top Johncrow’ with a baby ‘Johncrow’ in his hand.

The clip went viral in January 2025, and he has made several appearances since then.

However, the deejay’s ‘avian antics’ have attracted the attention of the National Environmental Planning Agency (NEPA), and the enforcement team of the government agency is not amused.

“The individual can be prosecuted under the Wild Life Protection Act as the Turkey Vulture or John Crow (Cathartes aura) is a protected species. It is illegal to have the bird in your possession. Please note that the agency is looking into this matter,” NEPA said in a release sent to Observer Online.

The Wildlife Protection Act, 2000 protects hundreds of species that make up the rich biodiversity in Jamaica’s wildlife from exploitation and danger, states that all native birds are protected. In Jamaica, there are over 300 species of birds which are protected, except those listed in a particular Table or Schedule, which can be domesticated or introduced.

“The Turkey Vulture or John Crow is a native species that is resident in Jamaica. There are no laws governing domestication, however, the Wild Life Protection Act speaks to what species one should not have in their possession without an exemption under the Act,” the release explained.

NEPA expressed concern about the possibility that wild animals can be vectors for disease, and lead to bird-to-human transmission of potentially deadly germs.

“Notwithstanding that all native birds are protected, any wild animal may carry diseases or germs that could impact humans. For birds, currently, the disease of concern is the highly pathogenic influenza, and the government is taking steps to prepare for its possible arrival on the island.” NEPA said.

In the meantime, Currentzicks is pushing ahead with his career. He claimed that he rescued the bird which had been abandoned by its caregivers.

“The dancehall fans love when mi perform the ‘Top Johncrow’ with the Johncrow inna mi hand, is a baby, so it can fit inna mi hand. Mi let it go and it come back to me all the time,” he said.

The artiste’s music explores a wide range of genres, with a focus on dancehall and pop.

He is known for the viral hits like ‘Bull Inna Yuh Pen’ which racked up 30,426 posts on Tik Tok and ‘Top Johncrow’ which also went viral on the Internet.

-Claude Mills