Hyderabad Police rescues 4 Indian Rollers caged during Dussehra due to old superstition

Hyderabad Police rescues 4 Indian Rollers caged during Dussehra due to old superstition  Hyderabad, Oct 21 : Hyderabad Police rescued four Indian Rollers, Telangana’s state bird, from illegal captivity during Dussehra celebrations. Superstition over the birds bringing good luck if sighted during the festival, has led to widespread cruelty and captivity of the .  Police Commissioner, V.C. Sajjanar, said on Wednesday that acting on precise information provided by vigilant citizens, the Hyderabad City Police responded immediately. They conducted raids in three separate locations and successfully rescued four Indian Rollers, all alive. “The Indian Roller (Palapitta)—the state bird of Telangana, which ought to be soaring freely in the skies—was confined in iron cages by some individuals for their own selfish motives during Dussehra. Despite our clear prior warnings that harming voiceless creatures would lead to strict legal action, some chose to ignore these cautions, subjecting these helpless birds to severe distress,” the Commissioner said. Two birds, suffering immensely in cramped cages near a temple at Bapu Ghat in Langer Houz, were liberated and handed over to the forest officials at KBR Park. Another bird, found confined in a cage hung from a tree near the Sri Chitragupta Swamy Temple in Chatrinaka, and a fourth bird, kept in a cage near a temple in Balaji Nagar, Mangalhat, were also rescued and turned over to the forest department. Sajjanar said that in coordination with the forest department, strict legal action is being initiated against those responsible. Capturing a helpless bird in the name of a festival—subjecting it to torture by denying it food and water—serves no one; it is, in fact, detrimental to our society, he said. “How can there be any auspiciousness in the cries of a bird, struggling in terror between the bars of a cage? True devotion lies in compassion for all living beings—not in holding nature captive,” he said. People believe that sighting Indian Roller on Dussehra brings good luck. Bird catchers and charmers capture the birds ahead of the festival to display them in cages near pandals and temples and charge money to devotees who want a guaranteed sighting. To keep them from flying away, poachers often tie their legs, trim or glue their wings, and confine them in small cages. These insectivorous wild birds struggle to eat in captivity and frequently die from dehydration, trauma, or starvation shortly after the festival ends. This tradition of capturing and displaying Indian Rollers is strictly illegal. They are protected by Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the penalty for violating this Act is a hefty fine or imprisonment. The Commissioner appealed to people to act as responsible citizens by informing the toll-free numbers 18004255364, 9803338666 or dial 112 immediately if they come across Indian Roller caged anywhere.