LAHORE: The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department has introduced a licensing system for keeping local parrots (parakeet) species, allowing pet lovers across the province to legally own these birds, Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger Dr. Ghulam Rasool said while talking to Private Newspaper.
Dr. Rasool said that earlier, keeping local parakeets, such as the rose-ringed species, was completely banned. Now, the department has allowed four parakeet species to be kept legally through proper licensing and registration.
These species include:
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Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
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Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)
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Plum-headed parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)
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Grey-headed parakeet (Psittacula finschii)
He clarified that this licensing system only covers local parakeets, not exotic species like African Grey or Macaws.
The annual licence fee for keeping parakeets at home has been fixed at Rs1,000 per bird. For breeders, the fee will depend on the size of their breeding facility:
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Small cottage breeders (three marla to one kanal of land): Rs30,000 annually
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Large cottage breeders (more than one kanal of land): Rs50,000 annually
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Dr. Rasool said all licensed or registered birds will be tagged with a special ring carrying a unique code issued by the department.
However, the wild population of these parakeets will remain strictly protected under Schedule 3 of the Punjab Wildlife Act, and capturing or trapping them will remain illegal.
He added that while the possession fee has been announced, a detailed process for licensing will be shared soon.
Dr. Rasool highlighted that parakeets play an important ecological role and are a sign of healthy biodiversity. He said there are 402 parrot species worldwide, and exotic birds like African Grey and Macaws are among the most popular among bird lovers.
