Indian Eagle Owl rescued from school premises in Thane

An Indian Eagle Owl was rescued from a school in Thane on Monday morning amidst heavy downpour; the owl was drenched in rain and was weak; it was also harassed by crows; the bird was in trauma and unable to fly

An Indian Eagle Owl was rescued from a school in Thane on Monday morning amidst heavy downpour.

The Indian Eagle Owl that was rescued from a school premises in Thane on Monday. (HT PHOTO)

The owl was drenched in rain and was weak. It was also harassed by crows. The bird was in trauma and unable to fly.

It was rescued from Thirani School in Vartak Nagar by Wildlife Welfare Association, an NGO.

Indian Eagle Owls are a protected species and are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). This horned owl species is also called rock eagle-owl or Bengal-eagle owl.

Balkrishna Kolekar, a resident of Vartak Nagar, spotted the owl and reached out to WWA. He informed them about the bird stuck in the school premises.

Aditya Patil, member of WWA, said, “The owl was attacked by crows and was trying to hide in the school. It was wet and in trauma. We picked it up with a towel and saw that its beak was bent more than normal due to an injury. We took it to our WWA hospital for a detailed check-up.”

The veterinarian confirmed that there were no external or internal injuries. “We need to keep it under observation for four to five days. The injury on its beak is an old injury that cannot be healed. It was then cleaned, dried and kept in a cage. It was also making an effort to fly, so we will release it after the doctor’s recommendation.”