Waking up to a text from the boss may not be an ideal start to a Sunday morning. But as a fresher in the world of wildlife conservation, this was the one message I had been waiting for eagerly – my first field exposure! Something long overdue as the world lay in the grips of a seemingly endless pandemic, the call from the wild and a chance to be out there could not have come sooner. However, it wasn’t paradiseI was heading to.

On 6th November, 2021 around 56 demoiselle cranes were found dead in Kaparda, a village in Jodhpur, with several others showing signs of sickness. This unfortunate news was conveyed to us by our partner NGO, Raksha, who had visited Kaparda to check on the situation. Spotting the beginnings of a wildlife emergency, WTI and Raksha teamed up with the Rajasthan Forest Department to address the issue on the ground. Our team consisted of veterinarians, rescuers and expert bird handlers. Within two days, I was packed and en route Delhi to Jodhpur, where I would meet my head, Snehaa Sundaram and veterinarian Dr. Ushma Patel, before continuing on to Kaparda. Setting off from home at 8 am, it took me 12 hours, one flight and one bumpy ride in an animal ambulance (full disclosure: Rajasthan roads aren’t always as smooth as they are reputed to be) to my destination.

Kaparda is located in the Bilara district, 77 km from Jodhpur. It is one of the many wintering grounds visited by Demoiselle cranes during their migratory period. Delicate in appearance, these spirited birds cover an astonishing 5000 km, flying over the Himalayas and landing in Western India – their home for the winters. Across their journey, these birds cover a range of environments – from deserts to grasslands, halting along water bodies that come their way. In India, the wintering grounds are the crop fields, paddy stubble, sandy riverbeds, lakes and water tanks, feeding on wheat, chickpeas and alfalfa as well as locally cultivated cereal crops such as bajra (pearl millet).

Photo by Snehaa Sundaram

On reaching Bilara we headed to the forest range office and were greeted by Raksha’s rescue team – a sprightly group of six volunteers – who had arrived a day before us. The Bilara forest range office abuts a rescue centre where the sick cranes and other injured wildlife are housed. The team took us to see the rescued cranes and the sight of so many ill birds was truly heart-wrenching. 20 cranes were housed in one of the rooms of the rescue centre – with a majority of them squatting, unable to move or feed on their own. After a preliminary check of the rescue centre and birds, we formed a plan for their treatment over the next few days.

Early next morning, Dr. Ushma began supportive therapy for the birds, followed by tube feeding. Once this was done, the birds were moved outside so that they could soak in sunlight. While Dr. Ushma treated the cranes, Snehaa supervised the setting up of an external enclosure into two compartments – one for the birds who could stand and one for those that were still squatting.

Photo by Snehaa Sundaram

All geared up, I began assisting Dr. Ushma with gathering data on the cranes (everything from their weight to the colour of their droppings was well recorded). Somewhere between the treatment of the first and third crane, Dr. Ushma sat me down with a forlorn-looking bird being administered intravenous fluids. I was instructed to hold the crane gently yet firmly to ensure the IV line stayed in place. Once the initial nerves and potential moral implications associated with this task wore off, I felt much more confident about handling the birds and even assisted with weighing, tagging and feeding them. Time passed quickly after that and some 9 hours later we took a break at a nearby dhaba with freshly fried sev and hot chai. Our hard work had paid off as some 6 birds were able to stand on their own and even tried to feed on the grains kept out for them. Our hearts and stomach full, we headed back to the centre to clean up and plan things for the next day.

Photo by Snehaa Sundaram

The cranes rescued so far had been from two sites – Kaparda SEZ and Deoliya Nada – as per reports of the forest department. The next morning, four members of our team (including myself) headed to these sites to investigate the area while the remaining members continued to treat the birds at the rescue centre. We spotted close to 35 Demoiselle cranes at Kaparda SEZ and rescued 7 sick birds – identified based on their inability to move/fly away when approached. At the next site, Deoliya Nada we spotted 10 more birds with one dead. We returned to the rescue centre to relay our findings to the rest of the team. Rohit Gangwal, founder of Raksha had also arrived at the centre with more medical supplies. After a team meeting, we continued with the treatment and feeding of the birds, blissfully unaware about the disaster about to unfold.

Around 5:00 pm, the department rescue team returned from their evening patrol with the devastating news that 18 more birds had been found dead at a new site – Ramasani and the following morning we were informed that the samples collected for testing by the Forest Department showed the presence of Avian Influenza (AI). As this was a communicable strain (H5N1) of AI, all rescue and rehabilitation work was immediately ceased. This changed everything. We washed away our shock along with any virus particles through a sodium hypochlorite bath and dove straight into modifying our action plan. While the Animal Husbandry department had a protocol to tackle AI in poultry, this was the first time an outbreak had occurred in a wild species. Therefore, the first line of action was coming up with a protocol for control measures to minimise the spread of the disease as soon as possible. After drafting the same, we passed it on to Shri Ramesh Malpani, DFO as well as Shri Madan Lal Nehra, Additional District Magistrate of Jodhpur.

Photo by Snehaa Sundaram

It was decided that two members of the team would stay back at Kaparda to ensure that the necessary protocols were being followed. The team assisted the forest staff in the disposal of dead birds as per the protocols while sick birds were to be left unattended. The individuals coming in contact with dead birds were provided with PPE kits. It was time to return, but without a closure.

While we weren’t able to do enough on ground, this trip has to be one of the most illuminating experiences in my life. I was inspired by the team on ground – their perseverance and high spirits even during the trying times. This glimpse into field work has left me excited for the next opportunity to go on the ground.

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About the Author: Sukanya David works as an assistant program officer in the Wild Aid Division. A budding conservationist and big cat enthusiast, she joined WTI after completing her Masters in Conservation and Biodiversity from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom.