Bengaluru: The high court Tuesday ordered notice to the forest department in response to a petition filed by a Bengaluru resident seeking return of his pet African grey parrot and also seeking to quash proceedings initiated under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.R Mahesh Kumar is the petitioner. The bird in question was taken by the forest department’s CID forest cell.The petitioner, who claims to be a hobbyist, has stated that an acquaintance gave him the parrot in 2018, when it was about three years old. According to him, the bird cannot fly normally as one of its wings is ineffective. He added he was looking after the bird, spending Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 a month, and never intended to sell it.The CID forest cell took physical possession of the bird on July 27, 2026, and the same day, he was served a notice under BNSS section 35(3). On July 31, 2026, the authorities invoked relevant provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
