The Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) has asked Thai temples around the world to educate Buddhists and warn them not to purchase caged animals and release them to the nature as a way to make merit.
Teerapong Pungsriwong, president of TSPCA, sent an official letter o the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), asking it to inform all abbots that buying caged animals, such as birds, are not doing the animals any good and could be against the law.
“We are not against making merit, but we are saying that the business of catching birds for people to release is sinful. The business is killing many birds along the way due to crowded spaces and malnutrition,” stated Teerapong, reported BBC Thai.
Leaf warblers are commonly caught by business operators and sold to Buddhists at temples, so they can be released. By doing so, Teerapong noted that the birds have little chance to find their way home, in turns killing their chicks who are left without parents.
Moreover, some types of bird are protected, and those who possess or trade them could face up to a four-year jail term and/or a fine of up to THB40,000.
Meanwhile, NOB Spokesman Pradub Pothikarnjanawat said that they have declared all Buddhist temples as “cruelty-free” zones where no should be harmed or killed.
However, the practice of releasing caged birds is a tradition that won’t easily be eradicated.
“Is it a good deed or a sin when you release animals into an environment where they don’t belong? You feel at peace after, but the animals are suffering,” said Pradub.
NOB will talk to the abbots to educate people that it is not the Buddhist way to harm the animals.
However, NOB does not have the authority to forbid people from releasing animals at temples. Only when the animals sold are protected could officials could take legal action against violators.
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