The Animal Rescuers Team today rescued 24 rose ringed parakeets, caged by a road side vendor for sale in the city, who managed to escape with another 15 birds.
Based on tip off about the sales of birds at Nagarajauram Junction, the team rushed to the spot and found a person waiting for customers, with the rare species of rose ringed parakeets, which are coming under the Wildlife Schedule Act.
Even as the four-member team was taking the possession of the birds and informed the Forest Department, the seller managed to give a slip with 15 parakeets, which were kept in separate cage, before the officials could arrive there, team leader, Joseph said.
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The birds were handed over to the officials of Coimbatore Forest Division, who released 19 of them in the Forest College campus, they said.
Since the primary health feathers of the remaining birds were cut by the seller, officials kept them to rehabilitate.
After growing the feathers, the birds would be released, he said.
The team has rescued about 350 parakeets, including Alexandrine and Rose-Ringed ones in the last two years in and around the city, Joseph said.
