Roorkee: 34 Parakeets Rescued, 2 Arrested in Raid Following PETA India’s Tip-Off
In a coordinated enforcement operation, the Haridwar Forest Department, acting on a complaint by PETA India, rescued 34 protected rose-ringed and Alexandrine parakeets from shops at Mahigram Machhi Mohalla, Rampur Road, Purani Tehsil, Roorkee – 247 667. Thirty parakeets have since been released into their natural habitat, while four juveniles have been transferred to the Chidiyapur Rescue Centre, Haridwar, for care and rehabilitation. They will be released once they attain maturity.
The illegal activity came to light when a PETA India staff member noticed parakeets confined in cages inside two shops while passing through the area. Subsequently, PETA India sent a complaint to the Haridwar forest division of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, requesting that the birds be recovered and the shop owners be booked.
Under the direction of the Divisional Forest Officer, Haridwar, the Roorkee forest range team conducted a raid on 24 April. During the operation, two individuals, identified as Mr Shoaib and Mr Sarik, were reportedly apprehended. The accused were found possessing and allegedly selling prohibited parakeets, which they had unlawfully confined in cages at their meat shops.
A Preliminary Offence Report (POR) was registered against the accused under Sections 2(16), 9, 39, 49, 50, and 51 of the Wild Life (Protection) (WPA) Act, 1972. Both individuals have reportedly been arrested and remanded to judicial custody in the district jail. Rose-ringed and Alexandrine parakeets are protected under Schedule II of the WPA Act, 1972. Buying, selling, or possessing this species is punishable by a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, a jail term of up to three years, or both.
This operation is part of PETA India’s ongoing efforts, in collaboration with forest departments and other authorities, to combat the illegal trade and trafficking of protected bird species across India.
In December 2024, the Jama Masjid Police Station, acting on a complaint by PETA India, recovered nearly 150 birds, including Alexandrine, rose-ringed, and plum-headed parakeets, as well as pigeons, from shops at Kabutar Market near Jama Masjid.
In August 2024, the Kanpur division of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department recovered over 700 birds—including rose-ringed, plum-headed parakeets, and Alexandrine parakeets, hundreds of munias and Indian silverbills, and a common hill myna—from shops at Parade Bazar in Kanpur, following a complaint by PETA India.
In July 2024, the central division of the Delhi Forest Department recovered over 1000 birds, including Alexandrine parakeets, finches, and other species, from shops at Kabutar Market near Jama Masjid in response to a complaint by PETA India.
In March 2022, Delhi Police, acting on a complaint by PETA India, recovered thousands of adult and baby birds from illegal traders at Kabutar Market. The recovered birds included pink-necked and plum-headed parakeets, hundreds of munias, two common hill mynas, and a pigeon.
In the illegal bird trade, countless victims 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 or legs, thirst, or sheer panic. Those who survive face a bleak life in captivity, suffering from malnutrition, loneliness, depression, and stress.
