KOCHI: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has rescued several rare Alexandrine parrots from fortune tellers operating on Aluva and Ernakulam North railway station premises. Acting on a tip-off, SPCA officials intercepted the fortune tellers at Aluva Manappuram on Sunday evening.
The operation was led by SPCA Ernakulam secretary T K Sajeev. “On receiving the tip-off, we reached Aluva Manappuram, where we found several fortune tellers with the Alexandrine parrots. These birds are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. Keeping these birds can attract imprisonment for up to seven years. We seized eight parrots from them, but the fortune tellers managed to escape,” he said.
Later, three more fortune tellers were intercepted at Ernakulam Town railway station. “We rescued three additional Alexandrine parrots from them. The accused individuals are natives of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Search is ongoing for others who went absconding. What they do to these birds is an act of extreme cruelty,” Sajeev added.
According to him, Alexandrine parrots are larger than the more commonly seen rose-ringed parrots. In Kerala, they are often referred to as ‘wild parrots’ and found more commonly in North India. “Fortune tellers subject these birds to severe mistreatment.
They first damage the birds’ wings to prevent them from flying, then keep them in captivity for life. Through harsh training, the birds are conditioned to pick cards when brought out of their cages. However, when they attempt to fly away, their damaged wings force them to return to the cage,” he said.
The rescued birds were later transferred to the animal rescue centre in Kodanad.