In a two-day operation, Forest Department officials busted an illegal trade in birds and seized 207 parakeets and 67 munia birds in Karur on Friday. Four persons were arrested and booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The operation began on Thursday when the forest officials, landed at Vangal, Mayiladi and Mettumarudhur villages in the district where birds were being reportedly caught by some persons.
Based on information from the villages, raids were conducted and the birds seized.
Further investigation revealed a State-wide network of illegal trade in rose ringed parakeets and munias. It was found that the birds were collected at Gandhigramam, near the bus stand in Karur, and sent to various destinations. Interrogation revealed that the birds were also smuggled to Kerala, where they are much sought after pets. The information was shared with other forest divisions and the Kerala Forest Department was also alerted. “We were looking to seize illegally trapped parakeets but we also came across the trade in ‘munia’ birds which are love birds-like pets,” said A.Anbu, District Forest Officer, who supervised the despatch of the birds to the rehabilitation centre at Coimbatore on Friday, marking the conclusion of the operation. Many of the birds were also found to have undergone physical torture and caging.
“During the course of verification, only 50 birds were able to fly,” he said.
