Pune: Forest Department Rescues Six More Protected Parakeets, Wildlife Trafficking Probe Widens

Pune, 13th January 2026: The Pune Forest Department has rescued six additional Alexandrine Parakeets, popularly known as Pahadi Popat, from various parts of the city, intensifying its investigation into an alleged organised wildlife trafficking network. The latest operation brings the total number of rescued birds to 12, while five individuals, including a minor, have been booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Forest officials said the fresh seizures were made during follow-up investigations linked to a forest offence registered on January 11. In the initial action, three persons, including a juvenile, were booked from the Yerwada area after six protected parrots were recovered during raids based on specific intelligence inputs.

According to officials, further questioning of the accused and continued surveillance revealed that more birds were being illegally kept in other localities. Acting on this information, forest teams carried out raids on January 12 in Kondhwa’s Kausarbaug, Aai Mata Mandir and Malliknagar areas, followed by another operation in Shivajinagar on January 13.

“During these operations, four Alexandrine Parakeets were recovered from Kondhwa and two from Shivajinagar. None of the individuals in possession of the birds had the required permissions or legal documentation,” a senior forest official said.

All the rescued birds have been shifted to the Transit Treatment Centre at Bavdhan, where they are undergoing health checks, treatment and rehabilitation under expert supervision.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Ashish Thakre, Conservator of Forests (Territorial), Pune, with on-ground action led by Forest Range Officer Suresh Varak and his team.

Assistant Conservator of Forests Vishal Chavan said the Alexandrine Parakeet is a protected species under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. “Keeping or trading such birds without authorisation is a punishable offence. During the course of our investigation, we learned that these parrots were recently sold to individuals in Kondhwa and Shivajinagar, which led us to conduct focused searches in those areas,” he said.

Forest officials believe the case points to a wider and well-organised wildlife trafficking racket. “This is not a standalone case. The pattern suggests that birds are being sourced and transported systematically, often using public transport like buses. We are tracing the entire chain, from suppliers to buyers,” Range Forest Officer Varak said.

The Forest Department has said the investigation is ongoing and more action is likely as new leads emerge. Officials have once again appealed to citizens not to buy or keep protected bird species and to immediately inform authorities if they come across any suspected cases of illegal wildlife trade.