Tamil Nadu Forest Department confiscated more than a hundred rose-ringed parrots from breeders in Madurai district on Friday. The move comes after the rose-ringed parrots have been declared a protected bird under Tamil Nadu Wildlife Protection Amendment Act 2022. Under the Act, it is a punishable offence to breed these species of parrots.
On Thursday, the department decided to launch a campaign after receiving a tip-off that more than 100 rose-ringed parrots were being kept as pets in Sellur, Meenambalpuram and Narimedu areas.
On the other hand, Forest Department warned the people against keeping rose-ringed parrots at their houses in Madurai. The district administration also said that parrots should be handed over to the forest department by July 17.
The officials talking to The Hindu said that not many people were aware that parakeet was protected under Wildlife (Protection) Act and that keeping the birds was an offense.
The officials also said that people can also voluntarily hand over the parakeets kept at home by July 17 to Forest Department officials.
If the parakeets are not returned, the officials said that they would seize them and punish the pet owners under relevant sections of the Act.
The officials also said that an awareness campaign was also held among the people.
The Tamil Nadu Wildlife Protection Amendment Act was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on December 17, 2021.