Parrots Recognised as Wild Animals: Bombay High Court Orders Compensation for Crop Damage

In a significant judgment, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has ruled that parrots fall under the category of “wild animals,” making the government liable to compensate farmers for crop losses caused by them.

The case was filed by Mahadev Dekate, a 70-year-old farmer from Wardha district in Maharashtra. He reported that in May 2016, wild parrots from a nearby sanctuary damaged his pomegranate orchard, affecting nearly 200 trees.

Taking note of the losses, the court directed the state government to pay ₹40,000 as compensation, calculated at ₹200 per tree.

The Maharashtra government had argued that compensation policies only apply to damages caused by specific wild animals like elephants and bison. However, the court rejected this stance, stating that restricting compensation to a limited set of animals violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.

The court also highlighted that parrots and similar bird species are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and are considered state property. It emphasized that if citizens are expected to protect wildlife, the state must also take responsibility for the damage caused by these animals.

The bench further warned that denying compensation could push farmers to take harmful measures against wildlife, ultimately undermining conservation efforts.

This ruling is being seen as a crucial step toward striking a balance between safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods and ensuring effective wildlife conservation in India.

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