MADURAI: Following a 12-day long special drive from the forest department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, more than 700 green parrots have been picked up from their owners in Madurai.
Keeping birds such as green parrots, grey francolin, myna, panag kadai, panjavarna pura, blue parrots and other smaller and exotic birds as pets is a crime under the Wildlife Act, 1972. Additional Chief Secretary of Environment Climate Change and Forest, Supriya Sahu said similar drives will be carried out in all districts.
To preserve parakeets, the forest department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau initiated a campaign across Madurai on July 5. During the special campaign, awareness programmes were conducted at the grassroots. Pet shop owners and the public were sensitised to hand over the possession of parrots. Over the 12 days, hundreds of parrots were collected from the people. Officials said many people voluntarily handed over the parrots.
Supriya Sahu said caging and trading parakeets is illegal in India and that the birds are now housed in larger aviaries for acclimatisation. "Seven NGOs have been roped in to take care of the parakeets. Student volunteers are helping to feed them. After a proper checkup and rehabilitation process, these parakeets will be released into a safer environment in the forest areas," she added.