All privately-run aviaries and petting zoos in Tamil Nadu face closure by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, which has sought clarity from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as to what permits are valid for the display of animals to the public.
Private collectors of exotic animals have, till recently, exhibited animals through a license obtained from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and by voluntarily declaring possession of the animals through the PARIVESH portal of the Environment Ministry. These declarations however, do not allow for the exhibition of wildlife to the public, while the AWBI licenses are only for pets like cats and dogs, officials said.
Exotic animals are those listed under the appendices I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and included in Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Chief Wildlife Warden of the State, Srinivas R. Reddy said the Forest Department has now sought clarity from the Ministry as to what permits would be required for private collectors to exhibit exotic animals to the public. While a breeders’ license, which can be obtained from the T.N. Forest Department would allow the breeding of exotic animals, Mr. Reddy said that to date, no breeders’ licenses had been granted to any applicants by the Department.
Local District Forest Officers have been directed to ensure that all aviaries and petting zoos in possession of CITES-listed species across the State do not exhibit them to the public.
In the Nilgiris, District Forest Officer (Nilgiris Division) S. Gowtham, said that the local range officer has been instructed to check whether the owner of one such exotic bird park in Fern Hill in Udhagamandam has any permits to exhibit CITES-listed species to the public, and that if no valid licenses are in their possession, then the birds cannot be exhibited to the public.
Conservationists have welcomed the clampdown on private aviaries across the state. One conservationist from the Nilgiris applauded the Department’s pro-active approach towards safeguarding exotic animals, most of which are trafficked into the country, leading to populations in their native habitats declining.
“Over the years, breeding and sale of exotic birds and animals has become a hugely lucrative businesses, with these aviaries proving to be instrumental in increasing public demand for exotic animals. Closing these aviaries could help quell local demand for exotic birds, and could play a role in helping conserve species in the wild, such as the endangered species of birds like conures, parakeets, macaws as well as reptiles and mammals,” said the conservationist.
