Telekunchi (Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh), October 31, 2013: After almost 2 weeks of incessant rainfall, the sun has come out in the last couple of days – a good sign for the openbill storks in Telekunchi district, Andhra Pradesh.

IFAW-WTI vet Dr Abhijit Bhawal said, “There are at least 3,000 birds in the roosting site, which faced the brunt of cyclone Phailin. We had been feeding them supplements, snails and fish that we bought from the local market – as they couldn’t feed on their own – and the residents of this area have been extremely helpful in this matter. The birds have now completely dry and have begun to feed on their own.”

The team feeds that birds that were too weak to find food on their own

A tree full of openbill storks, as the sun comes out

A group of young boys rescued an injured fledgling and handed it over tp the IFAW-WTI team
Photos by Abhijit Bhawal/IFAW-WTI

IFAW-WTI along with VSPCA (Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals) have been working to treat and rehabilitate the storks. A total of 168 birds were admitted and treated in a make-shift shelter that was set up in a school near the birds’ roosting site. Of these, almost 100 were successfully rehabilitated.

Dr Bhawal has conducted a post-mortem of several birds that succumbed in the shelter. “A majority of the birds seem to have died because of congestion in the lungs, followed by enteritis,” he said. “Many were fledglings that were injured because of nest falls caused by strong winds.”

The team monitors the roosting site
Photo by Abhijit Bhawal/IFAW-WTI

There are currently no birds left in the shelter, but the VSPCA team members are keeping a watch on the site to ensure there are no fresh cases of injury, or any injured bird is left unattended to. The village Sarpanch and others who live around the roosting site are also cooperating, by keeping an eye on the birds.

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Telukunchi (Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh), October 23, 2013: Incessant rainfall has caused more fledglings in the roosting site to fall sick. Dr Reetika has reached the site to help in the treatment of the birds as required.

 

Dr Reetika and team tend to openbill storks falling sick due to the incessant rain
Photo by Madhumay Mallik/IFAW-WTI

A fledgling being dried in the make-shift shelter near the roosting site
Photo by Madhumay Mallik/IFAW-WTI

 

There were more than 30 individuals being cared for by the Visakha Society for the Protection and Care of Animals at a makeshift shelter in the village. More birds are expected to be admitted.

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Telukunchi (Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh), October 22, 2013: Hundreds of Asian openbill storks affected by Cyclone Phailin in Andhra Pradesh were attended to by the IFAW-WTI team working in collaboration with the VSPCA (Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals) who began with the relief work and alerted IFAW-WTI for support.

Around 600 openbill storks were affected by Cyclone Phailin in Telukunchi
Photo by Panjit Basumatari/IFAW-WTI

A make-shift shelter was set up in a nearby school for displaced birds. Around 150 were admitted and provided treatment and care. Additionally, around 600 birds in the roosting site were provided food and attended to as required. The birds were treated for various levels of distress – caused mainly by injury due to nestfalls, shock and dehydration. WTI veterinarian Dr Reetika will attend to more cases tomorrow.

IFAW-WTI through the Rapid Action Project (RAP) and Emergency Relief Network (ERN) had dispatched a team to assess and provide support for the care of the birds. The team included rehabilitator Saleem Hamid and Dr Panjit Basumatary who had been deputed from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) Transit Home in Kokrajhar, Assam.

Rehabilitator Saleem Hamid treats the birds in a make-shift shelter
in a school near the birds’ roosting ground.
Photo by Panjit Basumatari/IFAW-WTI

“The highest number of birds affected were fledglings, while there were a few subadults and adults. Many of the birds were scavenging or disturbing the adults, parents who, post cyclone, were busy building new nests,” Hamid informed.

From the makeshift shelter, around 35 birds are still being monitored by local animal keepers in the school, while nine have been handed over to the forest department for lifetime care because of permanent injuries. Many have been released or have flown away on their own, or have succumbed to their injuries.

“Apart from the injuries suffered by the birds, food shortage was another major issue,” said Dr Panjit. “We have been arranging for the birds to be fed and will continue to support the local organisation with financial and veterinary support depending on their requirement.”

 

After treating the birds for various levels of distress, they were left
in the shelter to be monitored by local animal keepers.
Photo by Panjit Basumatari/IFAW-WTI

Read about other relief work here