HYDERABAD: Ever since the start of the academic year, a dreary corner of St Patricks School, Secunderabad
has turned into a popular kids' zone, especially among parents dropping
off their crying babies on their first day at school after it reopened
this year.
Keeping the children entertained were a pair of rose ringed parakeets (parrots) in a small cage. The beautiful birds distracted the young children even as those in the senior classes made it a point to check out the birds in their free time.
But much like the students even the school was unaware that it was committing an offence. And on Friday, a team of anti poaching squad of the forest department raided the school and seized the two birds.
They said the birds came under Schedule 4 of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and keeping them caged was illegal. An attendant, who was gifted the two birds by a parent, was slapped with a fine and booked under Section 39 of the Act for keeping the wild birds in captivity.
The anti-poaching squad landed at the school on Friday afternoon acting on a tip-off. Forest department officials said that the parakeets were found in a small cage near the gate of the school and one Subbaiah Pandian, an attendant was looking after them.
While the school authorities feigned ignorance about the matter, Subbaiah told the officials that a parent had handed over the cage to him and he was keeping a check on it on the school premises unaware of the Wildlife Act. Subbaiah, 40, was fined Rs 2,500 by the forest department.
Animal welfare activists said that many schools were keeping birds in captivity and few principals also said that when the birds die, they would even replace them.
"It is surprising that they are maintaining these birds. Schools are not supposed to keep wild animals. Even if they want to keep domestic animals and birds such rabbits, pigeons, ducks among others they have to take permission from the Animal Welfare Board of India.
"Also, they have to take all measures such as providing big cages, fresh water and regular veterinary services. They have to keep animals in groups," said Mahesh Agarwal, member, AP State Animal Welfare Board.
According to Agarwal, in the last few years this is the third case booked against a school for keeping wild birds in captivity. While two other schools that were booked include Funskool School, Tarnaka and St Marium Fun School located at Meerpet, Balapur. S P Naidu, principal of Funskool, Tarnaka said that the school had kept parrots for 12 years until they were seized about two years ago. "We have a play school and the birds were kept only to entertain the kids.
"Now we have pigeons, love birds, ducks, geese and a fish aquarium," said Naidu who was unaware of the Act and ended up paying Rs 15,000 as penalty.
It was for the same reason that Manzoor Quader Shahbaz, one of the directors of St Marium Fun School had kept a parrot. Incidentally, even Shahbaz was unaware of the Act. But activists say that ignorance is not an excuse.
A representative of Patrick School, pleading anonymity, said that earlier the school had a large collection of love birds and other domestic winged creatures. But this pair of parrots did not belong to the school.
"Some parents gave the two male parrots to the attendant and we did not know that it came under Wildlife Act. For some kids school can be a tense and fearsome place. For such children we had a collection of love birds and some other birds. Some boys removed the mesh and 15-20 love birds flew away some time back," he said.
Forest range officer V Tirumala Rao said that denizens could intimate the department about any school where this type of activity was going on and action would be initiated against them.
During 2010, the anti poaching squad had booked 36 cases under the Wildlife Protection Act and 39 in 2011.
This financial year, so far 6 cases have been booked since April against private individuals and establishments for keeping and eating wild birds and animals.
Times View
Ignorance is not always a bliss and schools may have learnt their lesson by now, at least as far as keeping wild animals on their premises is concerned. But fining a poor man, who is lowest in the rung, for being ignorant of the Wildlife Act is too harsh when a stern warning may have been enough. Besides, the forest department should now look at educating the educators, spread awareness among schools about the Wildlife Act so that they take responsibility of such actions and not an employee.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Pet-parrots-land-school-attendant-in-the-soup/articleshow/14347301.cms
Keeping the children entertained were a pair of rose ringed parakeets (parrots) in a small cage. The beautiful birds distracted the young children even as those in the senior classes made it a point to check out the birds in their free time.
But much like the students even the school was unaware that it was committing an offence. And on Friday, a team of anti poaching squad of the forest department raided the school and seized the two birds.
They said the birds came under Schedule 4 of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and keeping them caged was illegal. An attendant, who was gifted the two birds by a parent, was slapped with a fine and booked under Section 39 of the Act for keeping the wild birds in captivity.
The anti-poaching squad landed at the school on Friday afternoon acting on a tip-off. Forest department officials said that the parakeets were found in a small cage near the gate of the school and one Subbaiah Pandian, an attendant was looking after them.
While the school authorities feigned ignorance about the matter, Subbaiah told the officials that a parent had handed over the cage to him and he was keeping a check on it on the school premises unaware of the Wildlife Act. Subbaiah, 40, was fined Rs 2,500 by the forest department.
Animal welfare activists said that many schools were keeping birds in captivity and few principals also said that when the birds die, they would even replace them.
"It is surprising that they are maintaining these birds. Schools are not supposed to keep wild animals. Even if they want to keep domestic animals and birds such rabbits, pigeons, ducks among others they have to take permission from the Animal Welfare Board of India.
"Also, they have to take all measures such as providing big cages, fresh water and regular veterinary services. They have to keep animals in groups," said Mahesh Agarwal, member, AP State Animal Welfare Board.
According to Agarwal, in the last few years this is the third case booked against a school for keeping wild birds in captivity. While two other schools that were booked include Funskool School, Tarnaka and St Marium Fun School located at Meerpet, Balapur. S P Naidu, principal of Funskool, Tarnaka said that the school had kept parrots for 12 years until they were seized about two years ago. "We have a play school and the birds were kept only to entertain the kids.
"Now we have pigeons, love birds, ducks, geese and a fish aquarium," said Naidu who was unaware of the Act and ended up paying Rs 15,000 as penalty.
It was for the same reason that Manzoor Quader Shahbaz, one of the directors of St Marium Fun School had kept a parrot. Incidentally, even Shahbaz was unaware of the Act. But activists say that ignorance is not an excuse.
A representative of Patrick School, pleading anonymity, said that earlier the school had a large collection of love birds and other domestic winged creatures. But this pair of parrots did not belong to the school.
"Some parents gave the two male parrots to the attendant and we did not know that it came under Wildlife Act. For some kids school can be a tense and fearsome place. For such children we had a collection of love birds and some other birds. Some boys removed the mesh and 15-20 love birds flew away some time back," he said.
Forest range officer V Tirumala Rao said that denizens could intimate the department about any school where this type of activity was going on and action would be initiated against them.
During 2010, the anti poaching squad had booked 36 cases under the Wildlife Protection Act and 39 in 2011.
This financial year, so far 6 cases have been booked since April against private individuals and establishments for keeping and eating wild birds and animals.
Times View
Ignorance is not always a bliss and schools may have learnt their lesson by now, at least as far as keeping wild animals on their premises is concerned. But fining a poor man, who is lowest in the rung, for being ignorant of the Wildlife Act is too harsh when a stern warning may have been enough. Besides, the forest department should now look at educating the educators, spread awareness among schools about the Wildlife Act so that they take responsibility of such actions and not an employee.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Pet-parrots-land-school-attendant-in-the-soup/articleshow/14347301.cms
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