Kolkata: The State Forest Department has issued a notification to several models, photographers, and shooting coordinators who have recently found posing with birds such as owls and parrots during organized studio shooting and showing them on social media.
A senior Cell Crime Control Cell officer said they recently found trends on social media, where several professional models were found to take pictures with birds and other animals.
In many posts, photographers or shooting coordinators even show off animals and share their experiences about shooting.
So far around 10 people have been sent notices and ask for interrogation before the office of the forest range officer in HOWRA, within a week, failing which legal action will begin against them.
They have been ordered below 5, 11, 39, 48A, 49A, 50 and 51 of the 1972 wildlife protection law for the arrest of illegal wildlife, transportation and ownership of animals that violate action.
If it is found guilty, they can be imprisoned for up to seven years.
The arrest, transportation, and ownership of the animal, protected by under Wildlife Protection Act, is prohibited and violations that can be punished.
Officials say that the use of animals for images or videos is on a steady increase and in many cases, violators claim that they are unconscious, due to the lack of appropriate knowledge, that they commit a crime.
“There is a post, where the models are dressed as Dewi Lakshmi posing with Owl Live and there are also photos and videos of women holding a parrot living in their hands.
We have sent notifications to them all and asks them to appear for interrogation,” said a person Commissioned Officer.
“Some respondents claimed that they did not know that they committed a crime while organizing shoots with animals.
That is the situation with our majority.
People need to be realized that it is illegal for cages and keeping animals and birds such as owls, parrots, turtles and turtles and Macaw as a pet for several years.
Also illegal used it in buds without previous permission, “the officer said.
When Tii contacted two models like that, they claimed they did not know that shooting with parrots and owls was illegal.
Both refused to be quoted.
In accordance with the advice of the Ministry of Law Union for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, shooting with animals can only be done after the official approval of the Indian animal welfare council and after the previous intimacy of the date, time and the right location of the shooting communicated to the Board.
If the shooting detail is not intimized to the board, it has the right to not issue NOC.