Kollam (Ker), Nov 2 (PTI) Animal welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Monday said it has worked with the Kerala Forest Department to rescue an injured peacock, kept in a cage in a temple in this district.

Acting on a tip-off,its volunteers worked with the state ForestDepartmentofficials torescue the country's national bird recently, a PETA release said here.

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The authorities of the Sree Subramanya Swami Temple here had apparently found the bird injured on its premises but then, not knowing what to do, kept it in a cage, according to the release.

A senior forest official said the peacock, now sheltered in one of the department's facilities in Anchal here, was doing well.

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"Actually, the bird has been a frequent visitor in this temple premises. As we have got information, we have gone there and brought it to our facility in Anchal, where the rescued animals and birds are normally kept," he told PTI.

Peacocks are a highly protected species under Schedule I, Part III of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Keeping wild animals or birds in captivity as pets or for any other reason is punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment and a fine of at least Rs 10,000, the PETA release added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)