Parakeets Rescued in Moti Nagar Pet Shop Raid Following PETA India Complaint
Acting on a complaint by PETA India, Delhi Forest Department rescued four Alexandrine parakeets from an illegal pet shop on Main Patel Road in New Moti Nagar, Delhi. After receiving a tip-off from a concerned citizen, PETA India investigated pet shops in the area and subsequently fired off a formal complaint to Delhi Forest Department requesting that the birds be rescued and the pet shop owner be booked.
Following their retrieval, the birds were sent for a health check followed by treatment and temporary rehabilitation. They will be released into nature once their recovery is complete. Alexandrine parakeets are protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972. Endangered wildlife is also protected internationally under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Endangered non-native species protected under CITES are also protected under Schedule IV of the WPA, 1972.
In the illegal bird trade, countless individuals are taken from their families and denied everything that’s natural and important to them so that they can be sold as “pets” or exploited by 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 Animals Act, 1960, which stipulates that it’s illegal to keep or confine any animal in any cage or other receptacle that doesn’t provide them with a reasonable opportunity for movement – and for an aerial bird, that includes flight.
