10 10 questions answered
Rabbits, birds and other pets: questions Indian pet owners ask
Updated By Petym
Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, fish and turtles, and which are legal to keep in India.
Each answer starts with the short version, then explains it with the sources behind every fact and the date they were checked. Where a guide or tool goes deeper, the answer links to it.
10 questions answered
- Are budgies legal in India? Yes. The 2022 law names budgies as outside the protected lists. What still applies when you buy one.
- Can I keep a squirrel, monkey or owl as a pet? Owls and almost all Indian monkeys are protected and cannot be kept. Where squirrels fit, and what to do.
- Do I need to register my African grey or exotic bird? Yes for African greys, macaws and most exotic parrots. The 30-day rule, the papers and the forest visit.
- I found an injured bird, what do I do? Cover it, box it, keep it quiet and get it to a bird hospital or rescue. What not to do, and manja injuries.
- Is it legal to keep a parrot in India? Native parakeets are protected wildlife; budgies, cockatiels and some lovebirds are not.
- Is it legal to keep a rabbit in India? Yes for domestic rabbits, no for wild hares. How to tell them apart and the welfare rules that apply.
- Is it legal to keep a turtle in India? Native turtles are protected wildlife. Exotic tortoises must be registered. What the 2022 law says.
- Is the red-eared slider legal in India? Not banned and not on the registration list as published, but invasive. Never release one into a pond.
- Is the Indian star tortoise illegal to keep? Yes. It is in Schedule I and cannot be registered as a pet. What to do if you already have one.
- Which birds are legal to keep as pets in India? Native birds are protected wildlife. Some exotics are free to keep, the rest need registration.
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