Four Captive Parakeets Released by Bilaspur Forest Division After PETA India Complaint
Following a concerned citizen’s report about four rose-ringed parakeets being illegally kept at a residence near Main Market in Bilaspur and confined in a cramped cage under deplorable conditions, PETA India worked with the Bilaspur Forest Division of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, particularly the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Shri Rajeev Kumar, IFS, to rescue the parakeets. Upon inspecting the premises, forest officials found four parakeets and promptly seized them.
Following the rescue, the birds underwent a veterinary health assessment and, upon being declared fit by the attending veterinarian, they were released into their natural habitat. Rose-ringed parakeets are protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. Buying, selling, or possessing this species is an offence punishable by a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, a jail term of up to 3 years, or both.
In the illegal bird trade, countless birds are taken from their families and denied everything natural and important to them so that they can be sold as pets or used as bogus fortune-tellers. Fledglings are often snatched from their nests, and others panic as they’re caught in traps or nets that can seriously injure or kill them as they struggle to break free. Captured birds are packed into small boxes, and an estimated 60% of them die in transit from broken wings and legs, thirst, or sheer panic. Those who survive face a bleak life in captivity, suffering from malnutrition, loneliness, depression, and stress.
The WPA, 1972, bans the capture, caging, and trading of indigenous birds and that non-compliance can result in imprisonment, a fine, or both. In addition, caging birds violates the Prevention of Cruelty to the Animals Act, 1960, which stipulates that it’s illegal to keep or confine any animal in a cage or other receptacle that doesn’t provide them with a reasonable opportunity for movement – and for an aerial bird, that includes flight.
