Posted on the 3rd May 2011
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) plans to kill the 100-150 monk parakeets who live in the wild in Hertfordshire. Two years ago, Natural England added both the monk parakeet and the ring-necked parakeet to the General Licence, which means the birds can be shot without prior permission being obtained, as long as certain criteria were met. But now Defra plans to eradicate all monk parakeets saying they could pose a danger to crops, electricity pylons and other species. The RSPB backs the cull.
Animal Aid has seen the report on monk parakeets, produced by the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat, which says that the threats posed by the birds are relatively minor.
Monk parakeets were bred or imported for the pet trade and would have endured lives of boredom inside constrictive cages before being released into the wild when they were no longer wanted. Animal Aid encourages tolerance and acceptance of all wild species but – should serious and specific problems arise – campaigns for non-lethal solutions.
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