Environmentalists, naturalists and the bird lovers upset over proliferation of plastic now claiming the endangered birds as its victim
A Black Necked Stork, an endangered species, is in a precarious condition as a plastic ring has struck to its bill.
A prominent birdwatcher of NCR, Manoj Nair, accidentally discovered the bird with the plastic ring when he was examining pictures shot earlier by him at Basai Najafgarh Wetlands. He immediately shared the pictures with bird enthusiasts on social media and several What’s Up groups seeking their help in identifying the location of the bird and mounting rescue efforts.
“We have spread the message among environment lovers, the bird watchers, the wild life enthusiasts and even Delhi Zoo so that something could be done as soon as possible to save the bird”, said Pankaj Gupta, a prominent bird watcher.
He said the bird needs to be rescued immediately as it is unable to feed itself as the ring has locked its bills. In this condition, he feared the bird may starve to death.
Gupta feels the bird could not be tranquillised using dart gun as the procedure has its risks.
“We contacted the zoo keepers and wild life wardens, they ruled out use of tranquilliser saying that it could prove dangerous in a situation like this”, he said. The bird enthusiasts have narrowed down their options to wait for the bird to get tired wherein it finds difficult to fly.
Using nets they plan to catch the bird and remove the plastic ring.
But the first task is to find its location. Rescue teams are planning to comb Basai wetlands spread over 10-square kilometre area. “We are hopeful of finding the bird,” said Gupta.
Environmentalists, naturalists and especially the bird lovers are upset over proliferation of plastic which is now claiming the endangered bird as its victim in an unforeseeable manner.
Ironically the incident has come to light days after the nation celebrated World Environment Day in which a pledge was taken to “Beat Plastic".
The black-necked stork is a tall bird with a slender-neck and a long bill. Its average height goes up to 5 feet. The species is found across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
