New Delhi: India's demand for exotic parrots may be growing, as indicated by the number of wildlife seizures nationwide. In 2022-2023, over 80 seizures of exotic wildlife were reported, of which exotic parrots were the most seized bird species.
Exotic parrots are found in the wild outside India, and their trade in India is regulated under the amended Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA, 1972), and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Despite these legal regulations, exotic parrots are smuggled into the country to supply the illegal pet trade.
WWF-India has released a new identification poster to support enforcement agencies' efforts to detect and curb illicit exotic parrot trade in India. The Poster- EXOTIC PARROTS IN ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE- enlists 13 commonly trafficked exotic parrots that are listed in Appendix I or II of CITES and, therefore, listed under Schedule IV of the WPA, 1972.
Mr Ravi Singh, Secretary General & CEO of WWF-India, said, "Illegal trade in exotic wildlife species, including parrots, is a serious conservation concern. Parrots are often taken from their natural habitat and smuggled in stressful conditions before they reach their final destinations. Removing them from their natural habitat affects their population and ecological role. By ignoring compliance with standard quarantine protocols and regulatory guidelines, as in the case of illicit trade, exotic species risk spreading zoonotic diseases."
"In cases of accidental release or abandonment, these birds could become invasive, competing with native species, introducing foreign pathogens, and negatively impacting ecosystems", adds Mr Singh.
Dr Dipankar Ghose, Senior Director of Biodiversity Conservation at WWF-India, said, "India's WPA, 1972, protects all native parakeet and parrot species from hunting, trade, and other forms of exploitation. After the amendment to the Act in 2022, exotic wildlife species listed under CITES were included in Schedule IV of the WPA, 1972. Including CITES-listed species in national law aims to regulate species' possession, transfer, and breeding and discourage their illegal trade."
WWF-India's new Poster - EXOTIC PARROTS IN ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE – aims to create awareness about the exotic parrot trade among stakeholders, including enforcement agencies, pet owners, traders and the general public. It also seeks to bridge any knowledge gap related to exotic parrots in illegal trade by providing information about their identification and legal status.
The Poster will be shared extensively with enforcement agencies such as the forest departments, border security forces, customs, Railway Protection Force, and others across India to detect and curb trafficking and illicit trade of exotic parrots.
Download the POSTER – EXOTIC PARROTS IN ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE, here.
CONTACT:
For more information or any queries, please contact Dilpreet B. Chhabra at dchhabra@wwfindia.net or call her at +91 9899000472.
NOTES:
- Thirteen exotic parrot species as listed in the Poster - EXOTIC PARROTS IN ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE - are Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), White cockatoo (Cacatua alba), Tanimbar corella (Cacatua goffiniana), Red-crowned amazon (Amazona viridigenalis), Grey parrot (Psittacus Erithacus), Blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh), Military macaw (Ara militaris), Scarlet macaw (Ara macao), Salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis), Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), and Palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus).
- To learn more about exotic wildlife trafficking in India, please visit https://rb.gy/ht2e6m
