Parrot owners risk jail time under new wildlife laws

Bilaspur | Correspondent: In a recent directive issued by the Forest Department, it was declared illegal to keep parrots and other birds listed under Schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as pets.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Satyadev Sharma has directed that individuals currently keeping such birds in their homes must bring them to Kanan Pendari in Bilaspur within seven days.

Failure to imply may result in legal action, including imprisonment and fines.

DFO Sharma has emphasized that anyone possessing parrots or any other scheduled birds must be deposited at Kanan Pendari.

Additionally, owners of other bird species should also get their birds tested to determine if they fall under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Birds found under the list must be surrendered.

Understanding the New Bird Regulations

In India, 11 species of parrots are protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The law prohibits capturing, selling, or keeping these parrots as pets.

Violators could face fines up to ₹25,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.

Additionally, the Live Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, require exotic pet birds, such as macaws and cockatoos, to be registered with state wildlife departments.

This regulation also applies to certain soft-shell turtles and is in line with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

For more details on the species listed, you can refer to the complete list of organisms in different schedules in India.

Update from Kanha Pendari Ranger

Kanan Pendari Ranger Shivkumar Nag reported that he has not yet received official orders related to these new regulations.

He acknowledged the general information on the matter and noted that Dr. Pawan Kumar Chandan is responsible for inspecting and determining which birds fall under the applicable lists.