Home / Environment / Instagram's Illegal Bird Sales: A New Wildlife Crisis
Instagram's Illegal Bird Sales: A New Wildlife Crisis
3 May
Summary
- Social media hosts graphic wildlife abuse content, rarely removed.
- Instagram now features illegal sales of raptors like shikras.
- An awareness drive freed 28 pet parakeets in two months.
Social media platforms are awash with graphic content depicting cruelty to wildlife, including violent attacks on animals. Despite being flagged, this content is seldom removed, and enforcement of wildlife protection laws remains inadequate. A new concern is the open sale of raptors, such as shikras and black kites, on Instagram, where sellers display prices and contact details.
One Instagram account from Punjab has been actively advertising the illegal captivity and sale of raptors, including vulnerable chicks. Despite being alerted on April 21, 26, and May 1, 2026, the Punjab chief wildlife warden has not yet responded regarding actions taken against the account. The offending account continues to operate as of May 3, 2026.
In a related effort, an initiative in Chandigarh has freed 28 pet parakeets over the past two months. Organized by the Karuna Eco-companions Foundation and its partners, the drive aims to educate the public about the illegality of keeping wild birds as pets. Many individuals keeping parakeets were reportedly unaware of the law, which clearly prohibits such ownership under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
