150 parakeets seized in Seelampur, 1 held

NEW DELHI: The northeast district police, along with wildlife officers from the NGO People For Animals (PFA), rescued around 150 parakeets from Shastri Park���s Buland Masjid area in Seelampur on Thursday.

The police have also arrested one person, Zameer alias John, in this regard.

The birds are mainly Rose- ring and Alexander parakeets, listed under schedule IV of Wildlife Protection Act. Three of the rescued birds are said to be rare species of parakeet, yet to be identified by experts, said Gaurav Gupta, a wildlife officer with PFA.

"We found around 150 birds stuffed in two cages in a house in the area. Cramped in tiny spaces, the birds had had developed wounds through constantly pecking at one another," said Gupta.

PFA officials have sent 35 'healthy' birds from the rescued lot to the Seelampur police station. The rest have been sent to Jain Bird Hospital at Lal Quila for treatment.

"Forty of the rescued birds collapsed en-route to the hospital and could not be saved. The house from which these birds were rescued have permanent cages built in the walls, most of which only had left-over food," said Gupta.

The police have registered a case under sections 9, 44, 49 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 at the Seelampur police station.