Twenty-one birds of protected species and two turtles were today rescued by forest department personnel in raids at two separate places in the city and three persons were arrested in this connection.
In a raid at Gallif Street, where birds were being sold as pets in a weekly bird market, officials of the wildlife wing seized 16 parakeet, 2 bulbul and 3 barbet species of birds, Deputy Conservator of Forests (wildlife) Dr S Kulandaivel told PTI.
He said they found the birds were being sold illegally in the market and arrested bird-sellers Saddam Hussain and Debasis Yadav from the spot.
Parakeet, bulbul and barbet are protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and therefore cannot be trapped, kept in captivity or sold.
In another case, wildlife wing officials seized three Ganges soft-shelled turtle, out of which one was dead, from Vojerhat village near the Kolkata leather complex in South 24 Parganas district.
One person was arrested in the raid, the official said.
