Two days after rescue, stork released in national park

The male blacknecked stork, rescued on Wednesday from Najafgarh lake in Delhi, was released at Sultanpur National Park, 15 kilometers from Gurugram city, on Friday morning.

The stork, with a rubber ring stuck to its beak, was first spotted by a Delhi-based birder at the Basai wetland on June 9. The sighting came as a grim reminder of the shrinking ecosystem of the local fowls and the underscored concerns over unchecked pollution of waterbodies that have been threatening wildlife and bird species.

However, the stork had flown towards Najafgarh in Delhi before it could be rescued.

However, two birders managed to capture the bird after chasing it for over four kilometres in the fields of Kherki Majra in Dhankot , in the vicinity of Najafgarh lake, on Wednesday.

“The bird, which is over two years of age, was kept under observation for two days at the Sultanpur National Park. Its beak was cleaned thrice a day with water and it was provided with food and a friendly ambience to ensure a quick recovery. It was in good health and was regularly fed with fishes. It was also administered with anti-stress and essential vitamins till it was certified fit for release,” Dr Ashok Khasa, a veterinary surgeon with the wildlife department, said.

Haryana forest minister Rao Narbir Singhand principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Haryana, Anil Hooda, released the bird from its cage on Friday.

“We were drawn to the stork’s plight as it’s beak was completely shut by the rubber ring ,” Vinod Kumar, additional principal chief conservator of forest, Gurugram, said.

Gurugram’s wildlife department had set up three teams, comprising forest officials, members of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and birders hailing from Delhi and Jhajjar, to rescue the stork as soon as it was alerted about its presence in the NCR. The search was launched on the morning of June 10, wildlife officials said.

THE BIRD WAS SPOTTED IN GURUGRAM A WEEK AGO AND WAS RESCUED BY A TEAM OF WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS

PTI A Haryana wildlife department official releases a rare blacknecked stork, which was rescued two days ago with its beak jammed by a rubber ring around it, at Sultanpur National Park on Friday.