IT is not just humans who face a hard time battling the ever-soaring mercury levels in summer. Animals and birds, also part of the urban set-up, too, find it hard to survive in summer, mainly due to lack of drinking water sources.
With the rise in temperature, black kites, pigeons, crows, mynahs, parakeets and langurs found in city’s green spaces, face problems like dehydration and heat stroke.
City-based Animal Help Foundation has already rescued close to 300 birds and langurs this summer, beginning April. Of these, a precious bird currently recovering from dehydration at the Centre is a yellow-footed green pigeon, also known as Hariali, which is a rare sight in the city. The bird was rescued from LD Engineering College campus a few days ago. It is currently recovering at the Foundation’s recovery centre.
“Green pigeon lives on banyan tree, which is hard to find in the city. They are therefore a rare sight here. However, although this bird gets enough fruits to eat, water is sometimes hard to come by in summer, which causes dehydration,’’ said Sohan Mukherjee, a volunteer at the AHF. The bird is currently surviving on fluid injected to it under the skin, like any other birds recovering at the foundation.
“These birds drop down and are unable to fly due to dehydration. Although birds get their required amount of food, they do not get sufficient water in summer season. Even langurs face a similar situation. Lack of sufficient water intake causes loss of strength and stamina in them, so they fall down when taking long jumps. When they are brought here, we give them intravenous fluid supply,’’ says Banerjee.
Fledglings of black kites, however, are the most common prey to summer heat. The AHF itself rescues close to five such kites every day. Their breeding season extending till late winter, these kites are born in summer therefore the newborns are prone to dehydration, so they are often found lying unconscious on the ground.
“They are kept entirely on fluid for at least four days to bring their hydration level to normal. They are then released,’’ Sohan added.
Courtesy : Exrpessindia.com
With the rise in temperature, black kites, pigeons, crows, mynahs, parakeets and langurs found in city’s green spaces, face problems like dehydration and heat stroke.
City-based Animal Help Foundation has already rescued close to 300 birds and langurs this summer, beginning April. Of these, a precious bird currently recovering from dehydration at the Centre is a yellow-footed green pigeon, also known as Hariali, which is a rare sight in the city. The bird was rescued from LD Engineering College campus a few days ago. It is currently recovering at the Foundation’s recovery centre.
“Green pigeon lives on banyan tree, which is hard to find in the city. They are therefore a rare sight here. However, although this bird gets enough fruits to eat, water is sometimes hard to come by in summer, which causes dehydration,’’ said Sohan Mukherjee, a volunteer at the AHF. The bird is currently surviving on fluid injected to it under the skin, like any other birds recovering at the foundation.
“These birds drop down and are unable to fly due to dehydration. Although birds get their required amount of food, they do not get sufficient water in summer season. Even langurs face a similar situation. Lack of sufficient water intake causes loss of strength and stamina in them, so they fall down when taking long jumps. When they are brought here, we give them intravenous fluid supply,’’ says Banerjee.
Fledglings of black kites, however, are the most common prey to summer heat. The AHF itself rescues close to five such kites every day. Their breeding season extending till late winter, these kites are born in summer therefore the newborns are prone to dehydration, so they are often found lying unconscious on the ground.
“They are kept entirely on fluid for at least four days to bring their hydration level to normal. They are then released,’’ Sohan added.
Courtesy : Exrpessindia.com