Agra, Sep 7 : Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India worked with the Divisional Forest Officer, Agra to rescue an Indian parakeet ' a species protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972 ' which was being held illegally and tortured by a family in Agra. Video evidence shared confidentially with PETA India showed a man hurling his shoe at the cage with the bird inside and a woman slapping the bird multiple times while holding it tightly in her hand. A hefty fine of Rs 40,000 was levied upon the offenders under Section 51 of the WPA, and the seized parakeet was released into their natural habitat shortly after seizure, following a medical examination. Indian parakeets are protected under Schedule II of the Act, and possessing this species is an offence punishable by a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh or a jail term of up to three years or both. PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Saloni Sakaria said: "This incident is exactly why laws exist to keep wild animals where they belong ' in nature ' and out of cages and chains." In the illegal bird trade, countless birds are torn away from their families and denied everything that is natural and important to them so that they can be sold as 'pets' or used as bogus fortune-tellers. Fledglings are often snatched from their nests, while other birds panic as they are caught in traps or nets that can seriously injure or kill them as they struggle to break free. Captured birds are packed into small boxes, and an estimated 60 per cent of them die in transit from broken wings and legs, thirst, or sheer panic. Those which survive face a bleak, lonely life in captivity, suffering from malnutrition, loneliness, depression, stress and abuse. /IANS