CHENNAI: I have two parrots at home. I haven't caged them. They move around, but I don't allow them to go out. I feel guilty but they look quite happy. But recently one if my friends said that I should leave them in their natural habitat. I am confused, please advise.?
Hi,
If your parrots were captured from the wild and you know exactly where you captured them from and you are sure you can return them to the same natural habitat ,then you can think about releasing your birds back in the same place. Capturing wild birds should definitely not be encouraged. On the other hand, if your birds were bred in captivity, then keeping them back home with you is the best thing you can do for them.
In the natural habitat, all parents , be it bird or animal teach their young ones valuable life lessons on how to survive in the wild. This includes teaching them on how to forage for food and how to protect themselves from predators. Birds that are bred in captivity typically do not get an opportunity to learn these and do not know how to survive on their own.
Such a naive captive bred bird would be quite vulnerable and will likely end up as a prey for another hungry animal or will die of starvation as they do not know what is safe to eat and how to get their food.This is why it is strongly not advised to let the captive birds back into the wild.
What you can do is make sure that you give them utmost love and care. Invest in a sufficiently large cage with ample space.Since they are intelligent by nature, provide them with good mental stimulation and do not hesitate to invest in toys for them. They are also very social, hence spend quality time in interacting with them. This way you can ensure that your pets are healthy and happy.
If your birds are happy as you have mentioned, there is no reason to worry.
In case you do insist on letting go of them, then reach out to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center or naturalist who can take them in and re-home them.
Does your pet obey your command? Write to
pet.faqs@gmail.com with any of your pet worries.
