95 munias dipped in textile dye rescued from pet shop owner in south Bengaluru

Police in southern Bengaluru arrested a pet shop owner for allegedly trying to sell munia birds. 

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, prohibits the caging of munia birds or keeping them as pets. Police have filed an FIR under the same law. 

Police said they arrested Sunil Kumar, of Doddaballapur, on Monday evening when he had put up 95 caged munias for sale in Girinagar. 

Police later discovered that the birds were dipped in textile dye to camouflage their appearance. 

A wildlife enthusiast suggested that the birds were smuggled from Tamil Nadu and pointed to the presence of a gang in the neighbouring state. 

"These birds are captured in Tamil Nadu and smuggled to other states," the enthusiast said on condition of anonymity. "They are dipped in textile dye to make them look like some other birds." 

A senior official in the Tamil Nadu forest department told DH that it was the first time they had heard about birds being dipped in textile dye. "We will take immediate action if we get any leads about the gang," the official said. 

MB Krishna, an ornithologist from Bengaluru, explained why munias were preferred pets. "People usually keep birds at home to see some activity. Munias are preferred over other birds because they have soft calls and are pleasing to the ear," he explained. 

He said that while these birds were also found on the city's outskirts, it was unlikely they were captured here.