Members of Animal Rescuers, an organisation of students engaged in rescuing birds, on Saturday rescued 39 parakeets. A member of the group, Vini Peter, said that following a tip-off from a source, they went to Kanuvai, where they found a man in possession of rose ringed parakeets.
Ms. Peter said that the man told her that he was from Tiruchengode, Namakkal, and that he had bought the birds in Erode. Following the information, the members alerted the Forest Department staff. They rescued the birds and picked up N. Dhandapani (36).
The Forest Department sources said that Dhandapani had purchased a pair of the birds for Rs. 60 and was selling the same at Rs. 300 a pair. The Department had slapped Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 on him.
Dhandapani would be asked to pay a fine, failing which he would be produced before a magistrate.
The birds would be fed, allowed to grow their wings, and then let out in the wild. Those who had purchased the birds had clipped their wings. The growth of the wings could take up to a month.
