One of the main goals of the wildlife protection act 1972 aims to curb illegal wildlife practices. Going against it can have serious consequences. But a surprising number of people unknowingly do break it. Read and find out if you're one of them.
Indian culture has largely been influenced by its animals. Our ancestors had great awe and respect for these animals and a lot of our traditions even today are centered around conservation. Despite all this, a vast number of Indian animals today are on the verge of extinction, primarily due to poaching and habitat loss, But another reason for the loss of biodiversity is the illegal pet trade.
India has one of the world’s most strict laws when it comes to wildlife protection they, however, aren’t always implemented very effectively, and despite the efforts of the forest department poachers and smugglers still find crafty ways to smuggle these animals into the pet market. Most of these crafty ways can sometimes be extremely inhumane like stuffing birds in cramped up suitcases, picking up bird chicks from their nests, and many more horrifying methods.
Based on how openly some of these animals are sold it can be hard to tell which of these are illegal.
So here is a list of seven animals that can definitely have legal consequences if you are caught owning them.
1 Parakeets
Often wrongly referred to as parrots, parakeets due to their ability to mimic human words are one of the most commonly sold birds in the Indian pet market. Alexandrine Parakeet, Plum-Headed Parakeet and Rose-ringed Parakeets are illegal parakeets sold openly.
2 Munias
Zebra finches can be
commonly found in pet markets and are legal. However, watch out for birds like Black-headed munias and Scaly-breasted Munias which sometimes do manage their way into the illegal pet market thanks to poachers.
3 Star tortoises.
With their amazing yellow and black shell and docile behavior star tortoises may seem like great pets. But, they do not belong inside your house. Being an endangered animal owning an Indian star tortoise can have serious negative legal consequences.
4 Macaques.
Although not as common as the ones mentioned above. Bonnet and Rhesus Macaques do sometimes end up as household pets. Primates are highly intelligent social animals that live in troops. By keeping one as a pet, the pet owners are depriving it of its natural needs.
5 Kites.
Often because of their eagle-like appearance, black kites are sometimes used as props for videos by a surprising number of people on the internet. These birds often end up dehydrated and injured birds.
6 Mynas.
Similar to parakeets mynas and other species of starlings too are commonly sold in the pet market for their ability to mimic human sound and words.
7 Indian Flapshell and Roofed turtles.
This may sometimes be confusing since pet turtles are commonly sold in aquariums. Although some exotic species can be legally sold. Native turtles like Indian Roofed turtle, Indian Flapshell are illegal to own.
What is even more disturbing is the fact that you can openly find videos of these animals as pets on social media platforms like Instagram and Youtube. Some channels even going as far as posting tutorials on how these animals can be trapped.
It is our duty to protect these animals. If you happen to see any store selling these animals you can contact WCCB (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau)on (011) 26182484 or (011) 26182483 and your local forest department.