Birds cannot be kept in cages: HC

A good decision passed for birds..

Birds cannot be kept in cages: HC
May 14, 2011, 07.12am IST

AHMEDABAD: Keeping birds in cages is illegal confinement and against fundamental right of the birds to move freely. The Gujarat high court has held this in a judgment passed on Thursday on petitions filed by bird sellers demanding interim custody of caged birds, which were confiscated by Surat police.

The court was deciding the issue - whether the birds have a right to live freely and/or whether can birds be kept in cages and/or whether by keeping the birds in cages violates their fundamental rights?

Coming to conclusion that every bird has right to move freely and keeping them in cages is illegal confinement, Justice M R Shah ordered to free all birds and animals that were seized from bird sellers by Athwa police. The police had seized 494 birds like parrots, doves, love-birds, munias and animals like rabbits and dogs, from Abdul Kadar Sheikh and others.

These bird sellers were booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Wildlife Protection Act. They approached local court demanding interim custody of birds, but a magisterial court ordered to free the birds.

The high court was apprised with the fact that the birds were kept in small cages, their tails were cut and cello-tape was put on their wings and there were rings on their legs so that they could not fly. Justice Shah observed, "Everybody is talking about fundamental rights of the citizen, such as, right to live freely, right to food, right to move freely etc.

A day has come to think about the rights of the birds and animals, because of such act even the birds have vanished."

Link - Birds cannot be kept in cages: HC - Times Of India

From the animal rights point of view, this is a good decision, but let us hope it doesn't mean releasing exotics in Indian forests.

There are two aspects here.

The first is about the judgement. I agree that birds should not be kept in cages for our pleasure. Hedonistic to say the least. We should not abrogate all powers to confine other species for our pleasure.

The second part is about the impact of the judgement. What to do with the exotics. Recently, in UK they gave a cull order for the parakeets as they have multiplied manifold. I am not for releasing those in our towns or in our forests. We don't have an exotics policy. We need to create one very soon. Trade in these exotics should be brought to an end soon.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

I'm totally against Domesticating animals there by denying their rights to choose their own livelihood. Its a welcome news and there should only be Wildlife sanctuaries and not zoos.

I also do believe that Only people that are responsible enough to make conservation efforts has the rights to see them in the wild and hence the Tourism should be banned in the Reserve Forests as well.

Thanks
Krishnadas

My prayers have been answered if only from a legal point. Now it is up to the people concerned to implement it. I really doubt if this will ever be taken seriously.
One only has to visit Crawford Market in Mumbai to see the culprits. A word in the right direction can avail one of many local species. Its sad that money shouts loudest.