Faith-driven hunt threatens survival of Telanganas State hen, Palapitta

The Indian Roller, regionally often known as ‘Palapitta’ and the State hen of Telangana, continues to face threats through the Dasara competition, with unlawful seize and show on the rise regardless of wildlife safety legal guidelines.

The birds are sometimes focused as a result of a widespread superstition that seeing or dealing with them throughout Dasara brings good luck or absolves sins. As a end result, many Palapittas are caged, have their wings clipped or certain, and even glued to stop flight. Improper weight loss plan, stress and accidents following seize steadily result in their demise earlier than or after the competition.

Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GHSPCA) coordinator Soudharm Bhandari shared rescue statistics from latest years, noting a gradual enhance: three in 2019, 5 in 2020, 11 in 2021, eight every in 2022 and 2023z, and 9 in 2024.

“After rescue, our educated volunteers, underneath veterinary supervision, rigorously take away bindings and cages and launch the wholesome birds again into appropriate habitats,” he stated.

The public is urged to report sightings of captured birds to the GHSPCA emergency numbers: 9394578568 or 8886743881.

Animal activists warn that the issue is exacerbated by cultural practices and rising competition crowds. Pradeep Nair of the Animal Warriors Conservation Society stated, “Temples more and more interact poachers to seize Palapittas for devotees. These migratory birds usually feed on bugs throughout fields, however their pure visibility is declining as a result of habitat loss and urbanisation. The birds undergo enormously when confined to small cages and uncovered to human contact, typically dying from dehydration, organ failure or trauma.” 

Mr.Nair highlighted that whereas providing milk or water is well-intentioned, it can’t mitigate the hurt brought on. Beyond the rapid struggling, the decline within the variety of Palapittas has ecological penalties, as these birds play an essential function in controlling insect populations that may injury crops.

Efforts by NGOs and authorities to curb this observe have been ongoing for greater than a decade. Panneru Pridhvi, founder and secretary of Citizens for Animals, stated, “Humane World for Animals India and Citizens for Animals are working with the Telangana Forest Department by way of consciousness campaigns and temple outreach to stop unlawful seize and show. Even final yr, round 10 Palapittas had been discovered to be illegally held in Hyderabad. We urge the general public to report any such circumstances instantly to the Forest Department helpline at 98033-38666 or Citizens for Animals at 78422-27344.”

With the competition drawing massive crowds, authorities and NGOs have elevated monitoring of temples and public areas, and conferences are deliberate to strengthen collaboration on wildlife safety. The activists stress that temples and devotees should rejoice Dasara in methods which are protected for each people and animals, strictly adhering to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.