Why caged birds break our hearts
On a visit to the cargo section of Delhi Airport I once had the
chance to see a number of large cages that housed big parakeet like birds, very colorful. It was a chilly January evening and it had rained and not abird in them moved. They were all soaked to the bones.
I asked an airport employee. He informed that these birds are illegal in India.
The supposed reciever of this cargo did not turn up and we could not do anything about such cargo so they had to be out in the open.
I went closer to see if I could offer to take one or two if alive. Big macaws and parakeets make great companinon birds, sensitive and intelligent and live a long life in captivity.
Unfortunately they were all dead about forty of them.
Birds are transported via the railways and the airlines. They are
stuffed into cartons or cages, covered with gunny sacks and sent as unaccompanied baggage. Often times, you can see small cages stuffed with birds at the cargo section of the airport. Baby parakeets are stuffed into cartons and flown from Nepal and the towns of UP (where they have been cruelly snatched from their nests) and are taken to the animal markets in the heart of the city. Birds are also sent to Mumbai on trains.
These birds aren't given any food or water during
their journey, and by the time they reach their destination, many of
them have died.
What You Can Do
A PETA member rescued ten parrots from a roadside pedler. The sight of the bright green, rose-ringed parrots stuffed into cages barely the size of their bodies was enough to tear at even the hardest of hearts. In one cage, two parrots were crammed together so tightly
that they couldn't move without trampling each other. The only source of food in one of the cages was a rotting slice of guava, and there was no water.
The activist took the vendor to the local police station and placed a charge against him. The parrots were taken by PETA to a vet. The vet stated that three of them needed vitamins and additional care. Not many people are aware that the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 bans the trapping and trading of all birds in India. Despite this, there is a flourishing illegal bird trade.
Although it is easy to shake your head and say, 'What's the world
coming to?' It's easy to help, too. If you see a parrot seller, don't
just turn your head and walk away.
Instead, take the person to the local police station and file a
complaint under the Wildlife Protection Act.
There are police kiosks at every crossing these days. And they are helpful.If would bring about some deterrence .You may even release the birds in a tree grove nearby if a constraint of time demands it.
Excerpts from : http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Feb202009
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Posted at 20:10 by
roopanin
