India: Twenty-five rose ringed parakeets that were kept in a cage and sold at Walayar in Coimbatore, close to Kerala border, were seized from a woman and two men who were selling it.

Sale of the birds on the busy Palakkad Main Road was spotted by K. Sarath Kumar, a volunteer in Animal Rescuers – an NGO that is involved in rescuing parakeets.

Forest department was alerted and a team led by Madukkarai Range Officer M. Senthil Kumar rushed to the spot.

The sellers were identified as Krishnaveni and her accomplices.

All of them were from Sevur in Tirupur District and had purchased the birds from a place near Karur.

Mr. Senthil Kumar said that their counterparts in the district from where the birds were bought by the trio have been alerted about capturing the birds there. “A special team has spotted the place and were in the process of trapping them to put an end to the racket,” he said.

The trio had brought 29 birds and sold four of them at Rs. 800 per pair.

The rescued birds included four males, 13 females and eight juveniles.

The accused were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and a fine of Rs. 1,500 at Rs. 500 from each offender was collected from them.

About the rescued birds, Director of Animal Rescuers Vinny R. Peter said that their primary flight feathers plucked and their beaks were made blunt.

They were kept in a very small cage – that was only about one foot wide and less than two feet long.

“The condition of six birds is in a very shape. Their chances for survival can be known only after observing them for a couple of days,” she said.

The birds were taken to the aviary at the district forest officer’s office premises and were treated. She said that it would take three months to 12 months for the primary flight feathers to grow and the birds to be fully ready to be released in their natural habitat.

(Source: The Hindu)