Parrot Owner Fined Rs 74 Lakh After Bird Injures Doctor In Taiwan

After a pet parrot wounded a doctor, a Taiwanese man was fined $91,350 (Rs 74 lakh) along with a two-month prison sentence, according to a report in the BBC. Dr Lin fractured his pelvis and dislocated his hip after a fall caused due to the bird. 

As per Taiwan's Central News Agency, the macaw shocked the doctor after landing on his back and flapping its wings frantically. 

The owner had brought the bird and another macaw for a jog close to where Dr Lin was running, according to testimony in court. Dr Lin also filed a civil claim for damages for his financial losses against the macaw's owner, Huang, as per the outlet.  He said in court that he spent a week in the hospital after suffering injuries and was unable to work for six months due to recovery including three months of special care.

The doctor in question is a plastic surgeon and needs to stand for long hours to perform surgery, therefore, the injury led to heavy financial loss. His lawyer said, "He can now walk, but if he stands for long periods, there is still numbness."

According to a media spokesperson for the Tainan District Court's administrative division, the case is "rare" and different from any that has been heard in a civil court in the previous decade. 

As per the BBC, the court concluded that Huang's negligence led to Dr Lin's fall. The judge reportedly stated that the macaw's size, 40 cm tall with a 60 cm wing span meant that the owner of such a huge animal should have taken "protective measures."

Huang stated that he accepts the court's ruling but plans to appeal, claiming that macaws are not violent birds and that the payout is "too high."