Injured juvenile Egyptian vulture rescued from east Delhi

Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO & co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said the bird is suspected to have been injured by Chinese manjha, adding that these glass coated strings can be lethal for birds

An injured Egyptian vulture was rescued from outside the police station barracks in Kalyanpuri, east Delhi, and is currently under medical observation, the NGO Wildlife SOS said on Wednesday. The bird was found hanging from a tree with a badly injured left wing that appeared to have been caught in manjha or glass coated kite string, officials said.

The Egyptian vulture is an Old World vulture widely distributed in India, the Iberian Peninsula, and North Africa and is listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. (Sourced/www.ebird.org)

The Egyptian vulture is an Old World vulture widely distributed in India, the Iberian Peninsula, and North Africa and is listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Wildlife SOS said they received a call on their helpline number after police personnel at the barrack number two spotted the bird. Upon reaching the spot, the rescuers identified the bird as a juvenile Egyptian vulture, and carefully transported it to a recovery facility, where it is currently under observation.

Wasim Akram, deputy director, special projects, Wildlife SOS, said, “Juvenile Egyptian vultures take small flights, often stopping to rest in safe areas devoid of predators. This particular juvenile was unable to fly as it had injured its wing, most probably after being caught in manjha. Our team has placed the vulture under mandated medical observation to ensure that it recuperates safely,” he said.

Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO & co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said the bird is suspected to have been injured by Chinese manjha, adding that these glass coated strings can be lethal for birds.

“These strings are so sharp that they can cut through the flesh and bone of a bird. The Wildlife SOS team has rescued numerous birds injured by manjha. Our rapid response unit and our veterinary team are thoroughly trained to ensure that such cases are handled with the utmost caution.” he said.