‘Palapitta’ rescue drive intensifies during Dasara festival in Hyderabad

As Dasara approaches, Palapitta birds are illegally captured for good luck rituals. GHSPCA has urged citizens to report such cases and continues its annual rescue operations, freeing and rehabilitating Indian Roller birds with veterinary care before releasing them back to the wild

Hyderabad: In view of the belief that seeing or handling the Indian Roller, the bird known as Palapitta in Telangana, during the Dasara festival brings good luck, several of these birds are captured, caged and clipped.

Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GHSPCA) coordinator Soudharm Bhandari, in a press release, urged citizens to report on the emergency contact numbers 9394578568 or 8886743881 if they come across birds being held in a cage or displayed.

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Every year, GHSPCA volunteers rescue these birds and, after carefully removing the bindings, glue and cages under the supervision of a veterinary doctor, release them back into a suitable habitat.

The GHSPCA has been active in the rescue of Palapitta over the last few years. According to the press release, the GHSPCA volunteers rescued three birds in 2019, five in 2020, 11 in 2021, eight each in 2022 and 2023 and nine in 2024.