Hyderabad: Police have rescued four Indian Rollers (’Palapitta’), the state bird of Telangana, which were kept captive in cages near places of worship and handed them over to forest department officials.Acting on specific information from locals, Hyderabad police raided three places on Dasara day. Two birds were found in cramped cages near a place of worship at Bapu Ghat in Langar Houz. They were handed over to forest officials at KBR Park. A third bird was found in a cage hung from a tree near a place of worship at Chatrinaka, while a fourth bird was in a cage near another place of worship at Balaji Nagar, Mangalhat. They too were handed over to the forest department officials.Hyderabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar has warned that harming the state bird would invite strict legal action. He said action was now being initiated against those responsible, in coordination with the forest department.Some people believe that sighting of ‘Palapitta’ on Dasara day brings good fortune. “Caging a helpless bird does no good to anyone. No one should encourage such practices,” the commissioner said in a post on X.Police advised the public to report wildlife cruelty on the forest department toll-free numbers: 18004255364 or 9803338666 or by dialling 112.
