Perverse idea of a pet

In India, we do come across a few street vendors peddling caged parrots and a few pet shops also sell birds. But overall, the fascination to have a bird as a pet is not truly prevalent so it came as a revelation of sorts to know that Indonesia has one of the largest bird markets in Asia. There is an official market which sells birds and it currently houses some 20,000 birds representing around 200 species.

The sad part here, apart from the overall idea of enjoying a pet which is caged, is that there are many birds here caught in the wild. Of this, many actually on the verge of extinction but yet, because there is no Govt law preventing neither their catching nor their selling, Indonesia could lose some bird species forever due to this trading lure.

It is beyond one’s understanding as to how can one get joy from a bird, whose freedom is completely lost and it’s world is a cage. To enjoy the tweeting of birds in the wild is beautiful but to hear them in a cage is like a cry for help.