Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The days of enjoying ownership of exotic animals with zero to minimal rules are over as they are now protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
In the latest notification and submission, Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh announced the amendment. Hence, now owners of exotic species of pets must mandatorily register details of animals in the newly developed portal Parivesh 2.0 of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change under Live Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024. Initially, the government had started this process by seeking the registration of all pets.
Now, it is compulsory that people who acquire exotic mammals, reptiles, and birds should register within 30 days. Those who had already registered their pets on Parivesh 1.0 will have to do the registration again on the new site. The department notified that the rule applies to animals classified in Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. These include ball pythons, marmosets, tamarin monkeys and cockatiels. Owners shall apply for registration within six months from the date of commencement of the rules and thereafter within 30 days of acquiring exotic species. A senior wildlife official said the new rules came into existence on February 28. The application form for possession certificates and registration of births and deaths can be submitted with relevant documents by paying Rs 1,000 per application.
Further, the note said death of animals should be reported in Form I through the new portal, along with a postmortem report. Transfer of animals should be reported in Form I within 15 days of such transfers. The owner should conduct a health examination for each species in his possession once every six months by a qualified veterinarian. The owner should maintain a register in the prescribed format in Form IV. In the event of escape of any exotic species, the owner must report it to the nearest forest office within 24 hours. Cross-breeding of exotic species with indigenous species is not permitted.
