News
Kolkata: A Painted Stork blown about in a storm
May 07, 2009, 12:8AM MT
By Sharon St. Joan
Compassionate Crusaders Trust to the rescue!
Compassionate Crusaders Trust to the rescue!
By Sharon St Joan, Best Friends Network
April in Kolkata was hotter and drier than any April in the past 60 years. The temperature climbed to over 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) for more than eight days.
On average, there are four big storms that blow in over the Bay of Bengal, every April, but last month there wasn't a single one.
Then on Sunday, May 3, a storm hit and the temperature dropped swiftly. The papers reported that people ran outside their homes and stood in the rain to celebrate.
One Painted Stork though wasn't celebrating and found himself buffeted about by the wind. Often birds do immensely enjoy flying through wind and rains, but there are hazards too. Wind can blow away nests, and can also cause birds to be blown about until they are exhausted.
At around 3:30 pm the helpline phone rang at Compassionate Crusaders Trust. The Bhowanipur Police Station was calling about a wild bird that seemed to have been blown around in the storm and had lost its way, maybe from the Alipore Zoo.
The Nature Society, Prakriti Samsad, notes on their checklist that Painted Storks who are escapees from the Zoo can sometimes be spotted in East Kolkata wetlands.
Compassionate Crusaders' Rescue Team, Subhas Kalsar and Sushanta Roy, went and rescued the bird who had sought shelter near the Police Station. Checked by their vet, the Painted Stork was found to be "frightened, dull, and depressed," but no injuries were found. It looks like the bird will be fine with a little rest and recuperation!
Compassionate Crusaders' Trust has transferred the stork to Wildlife Wing Rescue Center, Salt Lake, where their wildlife rehabilitation team will have the skills and experience to rehab and release the bird.
Wildlife Wing is run by the West Bengal Forest Department, which runs fourteen wildlife sanctuaries and five national Parks.
Painted Storks are an endangered species, which can be found in many parts of India. Some of these magnificent birds migrate over the Himalayas to spend the winter in India, where they remain through the spring. After breeding, they return to spend the summer back in Siberia where they came from. They have done this for many generations. Some migrate from the Middle East, and some are resident in India.
Compassionate Crusaders Trust runs a number of rescue centers in Kolkata, as well as a large animal hospital, Ashari, where they care for dogs, cats, birds, horses, and other species.
What you can do
To learn more about the work of Compassionate Crusaders Trust, please go to
http://www.animalcrusaders.org
Photo: Compassionate Crusaders Trust