Chennai: The Chengalpattu forest department received a tipoff that birds are being sold illegally online in Chengalpattu. Soon the forest department, monitoring websites, found there were parrots available for sale that can be used for parrot astrology. The forest department staff contacted the seller pretending to buy a parrot and asked them to deliver the parrots near a private college in Chengalpattu on Friday.

Tamilarasan (27) of Maduranthagam and Sadiq Basha (28) of Guduvanchery went to Chengalpattu with four parrots. When they handed over the parrots, the forest officers surrounded both of them and arrested them. During the inquiry, they said they purchased the parrots for a low price at Pallavaram weekly market and trained the parrots in their house for a few weeks and then decided to sell them for astrology purposes. Later, both of them were arrested and the parrots were set free in the forest area.

Trading in and keeping parrots as pets are illegal under the Protection of Wildlife Act. Following an appeal by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) also issued a fresh advisory to all states and Union Territories last year to ensure a ban on keeping aerial birds in cages.

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