The police have confiscated two yellow-crested cockatoos used by the Great Bombay Circus in Coimbatore, as the circus did not have a permit from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). The exotic birds were sent to the WVS International Training Centre in the Nilgris for rehabilitation.
The action was taken on the night of Tuesday, July 25, 2023, by the Race Course police in Coimbatore, who had registered a case against the circus company last week for alleged cruelty to dogs and birds, used in their performances. The proprietor and manager of the circus company were booked, based on a complaint lodged by Chennai-based Arun Prasanna G., founder of the orgaisation, People For Cattle in India (PFCI).
The complainant claimed that a certificate from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) must be obtained under the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules 2001, for animals and birds used in circuses. The circus company used 12 dogs, five African grey parrots, two yellow-crested cockatoos and one golden macaw.
