The Tamil Nadu Forest Department rescued 53 Alexandrine parakeet chicks and arrested five persons as a part of a surprise operation on Sunday in the city. The birds were found to have been traded illegally.
Officials from the department said that they initially rescued around 11 parakeets from two persons near Santhome and based on information from them, found 40 parakeets kept in a house of Mohammed Ramali, a resident of Royapuram. Two more persons were also arrested from the Muscanchavady market in Broadway for engaging in the illegal trade of the birds.
The Parakeets come under Schedule lV of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
Clement Edison, Forest Range Officer said that the rescued birds would be under the care of the forest department. “More people should be aware that it is illegal to keep these birds as pets, confined in cages and we encourage people who have these birds to come and hand them over to the department directly. Additionally, the public can also call the forest department at 044-22200335 and inform us,” he said.
