Shillong, July 27: The West Bengal government is set to implement a comprehensive ban on keeping Indian species of birds as pets at home. State Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick revealed that the ban could be put into effect as early as August.
As per IANS, Minister Mullick stated, “The law will impose a total ban on keeping any sort of Indian species of birds as pets. Violating this law will be considered a punishable offense, and competent authorities will take strict action.”
However, some exceptions will be made for keeping foreign species of birds as pets. Mullick clarified, “Even in such cases, there will be various restrictions. Foreign species of birds can only be kept as pets for breeding purposes, and owners must obtain a license by paying a registration fee of Rs 15,000.”
He further explained that there will be guidelines for the maintenance of foreign bird species. Owners will not be allowed to display them in public or sell them in the open market. To educate those who currently have Indian species of birds as pets, the Forest Department will undertake a thorough campaign program before taking any legal actions.
An official from the state Forest Department highlighted that keeping Indian birds as pets is already prohibited across the country under Indian law. However, many people remain unaware of this regulation, and birds, particularly parrots, are still kept as pets in numerous households. The new state law aims to address this issue firmly
