IFAW-WTI team attending to a bird stuck in kite strings in Jaipur

Delhi, January 25, 2016: In yet another attempt to rescue and treat birds injured by kite strings during the kite flying festival also known as Uttarayan and Makar Sankranti, IFAW-WTI organised veterinary camps in Gujarat and Rajasthan. These camps were held in Porbandar and Bhavnagar in Gujarat and Jaipur in Rajasthan. IFAW-WTI collaborated with different NGOs and respective Forest Departments in these cities to ensure that relief is provided to birds that are in need of any sort of treatment. Each year hundreds of birds die after getting entangled in glass coated kite strings.

In Porbandar, IFAW-WTI in collaboration with Mokarsagar Wetland Conservation Committee (MWCC) and Gujarat Forest Department set up veterinary camps in Porbandar Bird Sanctuary to attend to as many cases as possible. A control room was also set up which coordinated bird rescue calls from different parts of the city. Four veterinarians from Junagadh Veterinary College were part of the team and rendered their help in treating many urban and wild birds injured by kite strings. In addition, a wildlife rehabber was also roped in for the post operative care of the injured birds.

IFAW-WTI veterinarian treating a bird in Porbandar

The camp witnessed admission and treatment of more than 70 birds. Many wild species like cattle egret, little egret, Heuglin’s gull, common crane, demoiselle cranes, Dalmatian pelican, yellow wagtail, white Ibis, red wattled lapwing, lesser flamingos, peacock, golden plovers, among other notable species were treated in these three days. Apart from these, a considerable number of injured rock pigeons were also treated in the camp. The treated birds were kept in an aviary (with different holding areas) where a rehabber kept them under observation.

Specific feed was provided to different bird species and once the birds recovered, they were released inside the bird sanctuary and few in their natural habitat. Moreover, a team of local youth also screened many wetlands in and around the city to remove discarded kites and strings to minimize injuries.

A student with kite strings collected from Surat

In Bhavnagar, IFAW-WTI assisted the Forest Department in providing rescue and relief measures to the injured birds. The city in the past has witnessed a large number of birds getting injured each year due to kite strings. This year, the camp was held for three days and around 40 birds were treated and released at the camp site. Barn owls, spot billed ducks, comb ducks, ibis and flying foxes were treated by veterinarians from Anand Agricultural College. In Surat, IFAW-WTI team undertook kite string removal programme across the city.

During kite flying festival, lot of strings get accumulated in small lakes, ponds and transmission lines which could prove fatal for the unsuspecting birds as they get tangled and die a slow painful death.

Meanwhile, the IFAW-WTI team in Rajasthan partnered with local NGO Raksha and Hope and Beyond for rescuing and treating birds in and around the Jaipur city. Unlike Porbandar and Bhavnagar, the veterinary camp in Jaipur started early and has since then received many cases and is continuing.

Till date Raksha have rescued over 500 birds. Black shouldered kites, cattle egrets, grey francolins, peacocks, black kites, wood owls and pigeons were some of the species that were treated. Meanwhile, Hope and Beyond set up their camp on the fringes of Jaipur (Vidhyadhar Nagar) and attended approximately to 200 birds ranging from peacocks, cattle egrets, rose ringed parakeets, spotted owlets, yellow footed green pigeons, black kites, red-wattled lapwings, common mynas, tailor birds, etc.

IFAW-WTI team attending to a bird in Bhavnagar

“For three years in a row, IFAW-WTI has been organising workshops, veterinary camps, awareness drives and aligning with local NGOs to save birds during the kite flying festival. Each year thousands of birds fall victim to the glass coated kite strings and with interventions from IFAW-WTI many lives have been saved,” said Debobroto, Project Lead, Wild Aid.

The Emergency Relief Network (ERN) is an initiative of IFAW-WTI to bring wildlife rehabilitators on one common platform to save India’s wildlife. IFAW-WTI is developing a network of wildlife rehabilitators working in India who would like to rehabilitate distressed wildlife through ERN. ERN is an association of team of people whose expertise on the skill of rehabilitation can be utilised to reach out to rehabilitators in different parts of the country.

This team of trained rehabilitators, of people and organizations, can exchange, share and contribute their knowledge and professional skills to save wildlife for the cause of conservation. Ideally, ERN would like to get a commitment from wildlife rehabilitators spread in different parts of the country to address emergency situations as and when a need arises.