Noted Mumbai-based bird rescuer moves high court to quash hunting charges against him Pradeep D’souza, a well-known bird rescuer of Mumbai, recently approached the Bombay High Court seeking to quash an FIR lodged against him by the Maharashtra Forest Department for allegedly hunting and purchasing wild animals. The FIR was filed for alleged violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA) in 2021. D’Souza, 47, claimed to be the most sought-after bird rescuer in Mumbai who rescues and rehabilitates trapped, sick and injured birds. He said that even forest department officials seek his help for rehabilitation of birds as the government had inadequate infrastructure for the same. D’Souza, in a petition filed through advocate Amrita Nair, submitted that on March 14, 2020, he had written a letter to the Office of Conservator of Forest, Thane Forest Division and had given a list of the birds rescued by him according to the guidelines provided in the WPA. He added that despite repeated efforts to seek help from the forest officials to rehabilitate the injured birds, his attempts were unanswered, leaving him with no option rather than to keep the birds till they were fit to be released. In October 2021, D’Souza’s house was raided by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Forest Department and 110 kites, 43 parrots, eight bats, seven barn owls, two night herons and a sea gull were seized. D’Souza said the birds, at the time of seizure, were unfit to survive in the wild.