Abhishek, Aishwarya urged to help lovebirds

Bollywood's popular couple - Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai - has been approached by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to create awareness about the plight of lovebirds through a special photo shoot.

Bollywood's popular couple - Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai - has been approached by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to create awareness about the plight of lovebirds through a special photo shoot.

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"As India's most famous 'lovebirds', we believe that you are uniquely suited to help bring attention to the plight of these smart and sensitive birds. We would like to arrange a photo shoot with you for a 'Love Birds in Cages' ad to raise awareness about the issue," Anuradha Sawhney, PETA India chief functionary, wrote in a letter to Abhishek and Aishwarya .

Lovebirds are small members of the parrot family and the most commonly sold birds for domestic as well as display caging, which is a punishable offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species restricts trading in foreign birds.

However, a black market involving 300 of the India's estimated 1,200 species of birds thrives openly in many places.