Following a concerned citizen’s complaint about two Alexandrine parakeets being kept in a small, dingy cage at a residence in Aundh, Pune Forest Department officials along with a team from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India rescued the birds. As the parakeets were kept illegally, the forest department registered an offence against the couple keeping them in captivity for possession of schedule category birds.
Upon receiving a tipoff, officials from the Pune Forest Department on June 28 visited a society apartment in Aundh where the parakeets were kept in captivity. Upon visiting the location, the team found three parakeets that were immediately seized by the forest department. An offence was registered against Balasaheb Satpute and his wife Suman Satpute.
After being rescued, the birds were sent to the RESQ Charitable Trust for a health checkup, treatment and temporary rehabilitation. They will be released into their natural habitat after complete recovery. Alexandrine parakeets are protected under schedule 2 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (WPA). Buying, selling or possessing this species is an offence punishable with a fine of up to ₹1 lakh or a jail term of up to three years – or both. After this, PETA India wrote to the Maharashtra Forest Department calling for an offence to be registered against the birds’ custodians under relevant sections of the WPA.
Deepak Pawar, assistant conservator of forests, Pune Forest Department, said, “We have registered an offence against two people who kept the parakeets in their home. The procedure is underway to prepare a chargesheet against them and it will be submitted in court soon.”
{{/usCountry}}Deepak Pawar, assistant conservator of forests, Pune Forest Department, said, “We have registered an offence against two people who kept the parakeets in their home. The procedure is underway to prepare a chargesheet against them and it will be submitted in court soon.”
{{/usCountry}}“PETA India is grateful to the Pune division of the Maharashtra Forest Department, particularly Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forests, for promptly rescuing the parakeets from a grim situation,” said Sunayana Basu, PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator. She urged people who learned of any cruelty to animals to report the same to a local animal protection group and the police, or inform the forest department in case wild animals are involved.