Acting on a tipoff from a concerned citizen, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India worked with the divisional forest officer of Agra Forest Division to rescue an Indian parakeet – a species protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972 (as amended in 2022) – who was being held illegally and subjected to torture by a family in the Taj Nagri Phase 2 in the city.

Video evidence shared confidentially with PETA India showed a man hurling his shoe at the cage with the bird inside and a woman slapping the bird multiple times after adjusting and holding the bird tightly in her hand.

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A hefty fine of Rs 40,000 was levied upon the offenders under Section 51 of the WPA, and the seized parakeet was released into their natural habitat shortly after seizure, following a medical examination.

Indian parakeets are protected under Schedule II of the Act, and possessing this species is an offence punishable by a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh or a jail term of up to three years or both.

“PETA India thanks Agra Forest Department for working with us to rescue the caged and abused parakeet from a horrendous situation,” says PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Saloni Sakaria in a statement on Friday.

“This incident is exactly why laws exist to keep wild animals where they belong – in nature – and out of cages and chains,” she commented.