Born free, sold out

Kunal Doley / TNN / Sep 4, 2006, 00:06 IST

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Despite laws to crack down on bird trade, thousands of birds find themselves headed for the black market.

NEW DELHI: A falcon for Rs 20,000, an owl for Rs 15,000, or a hill mynah for Rs 3,000. Despite laws to crack down on the trade, thousands of birds find themselves stuffed into boxes and crates, headed for the black market. Sunday's seizure of over 700 rare birds from Walled City is just the tip of an iceberg.
According to unofficial estimates, birds worth lakhs are smuggled in every day, making it one of the biggest centres of illegal bird trade in the country.Some of these birds are killed for their meat, while a large number is used for black magic, traditional medicine or religious purposes. Some exotic birds are kept as pets, serving as a status symbol.
On any given day, around 50,000 birds are brought to the city — mostly parakeets, mynahs, munias, bulbuls, owls, koels, hill mynahs, canaries and eagles.
Says Amlan Dutta of the NGO Wildlife Trust of India (WTI): "While a parakeet can fetch Rs 40-50, a falcon can cost you as much as Rs 20,000, depending upon the breed. The talking variety of parakeets are sold for Rs 500. The hill myna is available for around Rs 3,000 and owls are sold for as much as Rs 15,000."

According to Karthick Satyanarayan of Wildlife SOS, these birds are either sold as pets or for black magic. "The rose-ringed parakeet, which is a talking species, is much in demand. Then comes other parakeet varieties like Alexandrian and red-breasted species. The black-headed munia and finches are also widely traded." Use of birds for black magic is most shocking.
"The claws and feathers of birds like great-horned owls, pariah kites and even bats are used for sorcery," says Satyanarayan.

The Wildlife Protection Act, which bans the sale and trapping of all indigenous birds, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which restricts the trade in foreign birds, have not been able to stop this black market from thriving.
Birds are sold openly in the markets near Jama Masjid and Red Fort, INA Market, Moolchand and Minto Road.
Says WTI trustee Ashok Kumar: "The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, has made it illegal to catch, keep, kill, buy or sell birds or damage their nests. But it is really sad to see how they are traded openly with the government turning a blind eye to all such activities."...
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According to Maneka Gandhi of People for Animals (PFA), six wildlife inspectors go to the field every day to check this illegal trade. "But all they do is catch them, take money and release them later. It doesn't come as a surprise that this year, the department has not made a single arrest so far. Whatever little is being done, comes from NGOs," she says.
The bird-seller near Moolchand flyover is a case in point, says Gandhi. "The seller has been caught around 50 times. But he gets freed every time, after bribing some corrupt officials. Not only this, the police know every place from where the birds are brought in, every railway platform where they are unloaded, and every single shop or market where they are sold. But ultimately nothing happens as money changes hands."
Delhi is the biggest market for birds. These are usually smuggled to the city in trains, stuffed in cramped containers labelled as 'poultry'.
They are captured from the bird-rich hills and forests of the Northeast, UP and Bihar, Gangetic plain and foothills of Himalayas or from southern states like Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Most of them die in transit from broken wings and legs, thirst or fright. Loaders and station masters are allegedly paid to look the other way.
Says Gandhi: "From Delhi, the birds find their way to Meerut in UP, the second biggest market for such activities. They finally reach markets in Pakistan and Nepal via Bangladesh."
Experts said the trade flourishes due to loopholes in the law. Bird trade was stopped in 1991 following an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
"While the law does not allow trade in Indian species, it allows ‘exotic' species to be bred and then exported. Under the garb of this provision, traders engage in illegal trade. You can also blame it on the ignorant and ill-trained inspectors at airports and other places," adds Gandhi.
The need of the hour, say experts, is awareness and a police-public partnership. Says Satyanarayan: "People should be informed about the need to protect our wildlife.
Whenever someone spots such activity, he/she should immediately inform the police, wildlife department or an NGO. Only this can stop the menace."
Adds Gandhi: "There is also need to train custom inspectors and cops at airports and railway stations about the laws and their implementation."

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