Parakeets Rescued From Akola YouTuber’s Illegal Possession Following PETA India Complaint
Acting on a complaint by PETA India, the Akola division of the Maharashtra Forest Department rescued two young parakeets from the alleged illegal custody of YouTuber Mohini Hajare. The birds were promptly seized by officials following the receipt of PETA India’s complaint.
PETA India had sent a formal complaint to the Akola deputy conservator of forests regarding a video of the parakeets that the YouTuber had posted on her channel. The video was reported to PETA India by YouTuber and journalist Amruta Kulkarni.
Parakeets are a protected species under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended by the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022). Capture and possession of the indigenous species is an offence punishable with a jail term of up to three years or a fine of up to one lakh rupees or both.
In January 2023, PETA India worked with the Assam Forest Department to apprehend a YouTuber who was promoting the capture and sale of parakeets on his channel and rescue those in his possession.
In the illegal bird trade, countless victims are torn away from their families and denied everything that’s 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 due to broken wings or legs, thirst, or sheer terror. Those who survive face a bleak life in captivity, suffering from malnutrition, loneliness, depression, and stress.
