Bhavnagar (Gujarat), January 24, 2014: The year has started on a desolate note for conservationists and animal activists of Bhavnagar (Gujarat) and Jaipur (Rajasthan) with over 300 birds being severely injured in the kite flying festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti on January 14 and 15.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) Emergency Relief Network (ERN) team, who reached Bhavnagar on the first day of the kite-flying festival, was appalled to see the sheer number of glass-coated manjas (kite-string) being flown and the severity of injuries being caused by them.

To facilitate the treatment of these birds In Bhavnagar, a temporary shelter has been set up at Pil garden under the Bhavnagar Cooperation, in the heart of the city. This has been done with the help of the State Forest Department, Jivdaya Trust, Rajhans Nature Club and Nature Conservation Trust of Bhavnagar.

Dr Abhijit Bhawal, who along with fellow IFAW-WTI ERN veterinarian Dr Reetika Maheshwary and two local vets treated the birds in Bhavnagar, elucidated on the shelter remarking that it was constructed keeping in mind the rehabilitation of the birds with a special focus on the insulation and spatial needs of the varying species of avians being treated. “To ensure survival, husbandry and post-treatment care is as important as treatment itself. Out of the 142 birds we attended to, around 30 birds are still undergoing treatment in the Bhavnagar shelter,” he added.

Likewise in Jaipur, Raksha Foundation, a local wildlife NGO, with logistical and medical aid from IFAW-WTI ERN is currently looking after approximately 60 birds who were injured during the two days of the festival. “There were over 183 cases which included largely included pigeons and kites. One could see a smaller number of other species like egrets, kingfishers and rose ringed parakeets also being admitted. Injuries were similar to the ones seen in Bhavnagar, since the glass-coated manja was the cause in Jaipur as well. Till now the team present at Raksha has been able to successfully release over 50% of the birds they took in,” remarked Dr Abhijit Bhawal.

“There were literally thousands of these manjas being used by the residents and on the first day itself we attended to over 125 birds in Bhavnagar. Unfortunately 42 died given the gravity of their injuries,” said Dr Reetika Maheshwary, the IFAW-WTI ERN veterinarian at the scene. “The most common injuries on the first day were lacerations of the ligament under the wings, with some of these manjas having cut all the way through the bone. Muscle tear was intense and in one case, of an injured painted stork, the muscles of the wing had been scooped out by the manja, presumably while the bird was in flight,” added Dr Maheshwary.

Located near the Gulf of Khambat, Bhavnagar has many colonies of painted stork located in the city with a colony in the Pil garden itself. “We’ve treated over 150 birds out of which the most affected were the painted storks, followed by pigeons, comb ducks and black ibis as well as different species of owls including eagle owls and barn owls among others. The passion and hard work being shown by the local vets and NGOs here is exceptional, with a firm determination being displayed to help the birds. Perhaps a more long term avian rescue and rehabilitation model, especially during the kite festival, can be looked at for Bhavnagar, with the Forest Department in the coming months, so that they are equipped to handle any disaster,” added Dr Maheshwary.

Despite a 2010 notification seeking a complete ban on glass-coated manjas or any kind of sharp strings to fly kites, the state of Gujarat continues to see these deadly manjas being sold and used during the time of the Uttaryan festival. It traditionally signals the end of winter with the return of the sun into the Northern Hemisphere and its entrance into the zodiac of Makara (Capricorn). Locals believe that this is the time when the Gods awake from their slumber and the heavens are thrown open and is hence celebrated with the ‘sport’ of kite-flying.

“The kites being flown in the air is dangerous enough for the birds, however few realize that the aftermath is also pretty grim for the avians. At the end of the two day festival there are thousands of these glass-coated manjas which are strewn around trees, buildings and any bird can easily get entangled in the same. Many of the cases we treated on the second day involved strangulations and entanglements in these strings, where the leg was the most affected and the muscles had been cut through,” said Dr Abhijit Bhawal. Reportedly members of the Forest Department along with some locals have embarked on the massive job of cleaning up the residual strings from the area of the Victoria Forest Reserve.