Over 150 parakeets and pigeons rescued from Delhi’s Kabutar market | Latest news India

The raid, carried out on Monday by the Jama Masjid police station, led to the seizure of 56 pigeons and 90 parakeets, including 49 Alexandrian parakeets, 39 ring-necked parakeets and 2 plum-headed parakeets.

The birds were found in deplorable conditions, confined in small, dirty cages or crammed into cloth bags, while the pigeons were also cramped in poor living environments, according to a statement.

Authorities acted on a complaint filed by PETA India to the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Central District and Jama Masjid police station.

An FIR has been registered against the alleged perpetrators under relevant sections of the Wildlife Act, 1972, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

After recovery, the surviving birds were immediately sent for health checks, treatment and temporary rehabilitation. Once fully recovered, they will be released into the wild, the release said.

Alexandrine, Ring-necked and Plum-headed Parakeets are protected under Schedule II of the WPA 1972. Under the law, buying, selling or possessing these species is an offense punishable by a fine of up to go up to ₹1 lakh, imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or both.

These and other endangered wildlife species are also protected internationally under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

“Birds are social beings born to fly in the open, not to spend their lives alone and miserable in cages,” said Sunayana Basu, PETA India’s cruelty response coordinator.

Highlighting the cruelty of the illegal bird trade, PETA India said that countless birds are taken from their natural habitat, causing them immense suffering. Baby birds are often snatched from their nests, while adult birds are trapped and injured as they struggle to escape.

Many birds die during transport due to broken limbs, dehydration or panic. Those who survive face a life of confinement, often suffering from malnutrition, loneliness and stress, Basu added.

PETA India further stated that this was not the first such intervention.

In July, the Central Division of the Delhi Forest Department, with the support of the Jama Masjid Police Station, recovered over 1,000 birds from the Kabutar market, including Alexandrine and Ring-necked Parakeets, as well as hundreds of finches, following a complaint filed by PETA India. .

In March 2022, thousands of adult and chick birds were rescued in a similar market raid, including ring-necked and plum-headed parakeets, munias and a pigeon, the statement concluded.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modification to the text.