Let them be in the Wild

Wild animals proliferate & live freely in the wild. Raising a wild animal as a pet is a tempting and exciting idea but it is not only denying animal of its natural habitat but it’s against law also.

Due to lack of awareness about wildlife conservation laws and conservation status of animals, wild animals are sometimes kept as pets. Parakeets, Turtles, Snakes, Monkeys all are scheduled animals which have been treated as pets since long.

Many of us own or aspire to own species of fishes, birds and turtles that may be caught from the wild and even illegally traded. By buying these, we become a part of the growing trade in wildlife that is becoming a prime conservation threat across the world today.

Few know that our favourite and well-known ‘mithu’ is a protected species in India. For centuries, parakeets have been kept as pets mainly because they are easy to keep & their ability to mimic. This demand of seeking parakeets as pets has led to an organized illegal trade in parakeets. Their chicks are captured brutally from the wild & sold as pets.

Let’s understand the terms Parrot and Parakeet first.

Parrot is a broad term for birds which includes Parakeets, Cockatiels, Lovebirds, Lorries, Macaws, Amazons, and Cockatoos are some other groups. Parrots have strong and curved bill, upright posture & zygodactyle feet means two digits directed forward and two backward. They are known of their attractive colours & the ability to mimic.

Parakeets  are a type of parrots known for their long tail feathers which distinguishes them from other parrots.

Parakeets are under schedule IV of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Despite the blanket ban since 1990-91 on trade in all India bird species, hundreds of parakeets are collected and traded annually in India.
They are taken from the wild and smuggled to various parts of the country and beyond. The bulk of the trade is in three to four week old chicks.
Adult parakeets are traded throughout the year, with chicks are traded between December and June. For every bird that reaches the market place, several are believed to die en route.

Of the 12 native species, eight which are regularly found being illegally trade are-Alexandrine parakeet, Rose-ringed parakeet, Plum-headed parakeet, Red-breasted parakeet, Malabar parakeet, Himalayan parakeet, Finsch’s Parakeet and Vernal Hanging-parrot.

The Alexandrine Parakeet is one of the most sought after species in the Indian live bird trade and is traded in large volumes throughout the year. This is the parakeet most of us have seen in cages, at homes.
The chicks of this parakeet are collected from forested areas and transported to bird markets in Indian cities & to bird markets in various parts of the world.

Due to this, a very common bird once in India, is now Near threatened, as per IUCN red list category. (The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN, is a global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. IUCN red list is the catalogue evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species of all over the world)

Other three species of Indian parakeets—Nicobar, Long-tailed & Derby’s Parakeets are also considered by IUCN as Near Threatened with extinction. Illegal trade of this bird is the biggest threat to its survival.

Trade in foreign birds is restricted by CITES -Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species, to which India is a signatory ,assures full protection to all migratory species, making it illegal to trap, capture, keep, kill or trade these birds.

Despite the restriction on trade in many countries however, the market still operates both legally and illegally.

Treaties & bans are not being effective in preventing the illegal wildlife trade of parakeets and parrots. We are more closely linked to the wildlife trafficking market than we think we are. Only decreasing its demand as pet, will protect this bird from being hunted. Mass awareness is the key to the conservation.

Turtle as pet

Turtles or tortoise are also treated as pets due to their low maintenance.

Tortoises and turtles are both reptiles with their both shielded by a shell. The major difference between the two is that tortoises dwell on land, while turtles live in the water some or nearly all of the time. Both are very shy animals.

The Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 lists all species of marine turtles in Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 thereby offering them the highest degree of protection. Sea turtles and their habitats are also protected by other coastal laws.

Asian giant soft shell turtle, Eastern hill turtle, Indian soft shell turtle, Green sea turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Indian soft shelled turtle, Indian tent turtle, Cochin forest cane turtle, Leather back turtle, Logger Head Turtle, Olive Ridley sea turtle, Peacock soft shell turtle, Painted roofed turtle, Spotted black terrapin are all protected under scheduled II & Indian star tortoise, Travancore tortoise & Sal forest tortoise are under schedule IV of The WPA, 1972.

The Indian star tortoise, which is extremely popular as a pet across the world, is relentlessly smuggled out from the forests of India. Other species available for sale commonly like red-eared slider, red-crowned roofed turtle would most likely be wild-caught and illegally traded.

Turtles kept at home will not survive in a small tub. They need the right lighting, temperature and water .Countless pet turtles die from being kept in inadequate conditions. Turtles shipped by mail and other delivery services often die on the way.

People sometimes turn turtles loose their pets, thinking they are "freeing" them, but it's illegal to release them anywhere in the wild without knowing its natural habitat or range. To release any animal in the wild, it’s very important to know its ecology & its natural habitat. To release back any wild animal, one should take help of authorized wild animals care centres or experts.

India is a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and the CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals). CITES regulates international trade on sea turtles and their products.

The legal trade in other Asian countries appears to be undermining India’s efforts to protect the Turtles & Tortoise.

It is important to note, wildlife laws and enforcement efforts stand little chance of success unless consumer demand for protected wildlife is also addressed.

If you would like to protect the earth and the animals & help in conservation, do not seek wild animals as pet & create awareness among about it.

(This Article has been appeared in "Tell-Tail" Magazine May-July 2017 issue)