HYDERABAD: A pub in Jubilee Hills took its idea of a "wild weekend" a little too far on May 28 when it allowed patrons to not only handle exotic pythons and iguanas but also dance with them. Videos went viral on Tuesday, attracting widespread criticism.
Based on a Twitter complaint by wildlife enthusiast Ashish Chowdhury, sleuths of the Hyderabad Commissioner's Task Force, along with forest officers, on Tuesday raided a private pet store, booked 7 people, and seized various exotic animals, birds and reptiles, many of which were displayed at the pub.
Forest officers said the animals shown in the videos and pictures do not belong to the pub and are owned by a store in Saidabad.
The seven booked include Vinay Reddy, owner of the pub, his managers; Yaser, who owns the pet store, and 3 pet dealers.
Police seized 14 Persian cats, three Bengal cats, two iguanas, two pairs of cockatoos, two sugar gliders, and a sun conure parrot. Officials said many of these animals are protected under Schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and can't be put on display or be handled for fun.
"While the pet store had a licence for birds, it did not have any licence to keep reptiles. We are conducting a detailed inquiry and a case will be registered soon," district forest officer M Joji told TOI.
The pub, which initially posted multiple pictures and videos of the event on its Instagram handle, took them down and issued a statement claiming that no animal was harmed and that these are licensed. However, after more pictures and videos of patrons dancing with animals went viral, the pub issued an unconditional apology.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.