Chummu, Shonu, Monu and their two finch sib lings are taken to the local vet every time they're sick. "So far, the birds haven't suffered from any serious ailment. Doctors at these clinics can treat all types of animals," says NilotpalSamanta, owner of the cockatiel, pair of love birds and finches.
These birds may have found a safe home in Bengaluru but the city, which is home to over 400 species of native, exotic and migratory birds, doesn't have a multi-specialty hospital for the avian creatures.
A week ago when wildlife rescuer Rajesh Kumar M heard about a spot-billed pelican being found dead in Jakkurlake, the harsh truth came to light. "After residents informed the BBMP control room about a dead pelican, we found two more in the lake island. We rescued about seven other pelicans and took them to the People For Animals (PFA) rehabilitation centre in Kengeri. Doctors found worms in their stomachs and conducted some tests. Four of them are still at the centre," he told TOI.
For exotic birds that are mostly domesticated, there are numerous vet clinics which offer treatment for minor diseases like salmonella, avian pox and dehydration. However, scant facilities are available for native and migratory birds.
There are only two rehabilitation centres for birds -PFA and Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Bannerghatta. Apart from this, veterinary hospitals on the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) campus in Hebbal and Yelahanka and opposite the Cantonment railway station, and six to eight paramedic centres across the city belong to BBMP . The hospital on the UAS Hebbal campus sees only 10-12 birds on an average in a week. Dr PT Ramesh, head of the medicine department, said, "They are mostly pets. Even in the Yelahanka and Cantonment centres, its is usually poultry or pets that are brought for treatment.Sometimes, even rescued birds are rushed to the facilities." Cessna Lifeline veterinary hospital in Domlur, a private facility , sees 15-20 birds a month.
Apart from the Hebbal hospital, not many vet clinics are equipped with latest technology needed to treat serious diseases in birds. The university is making efforts to educate students in a special course enabling them to treat exotic, wild and migratory birds.
Insisting that a multi-specialty hospital is the need of the hour, Rajesh said: "Migratory birds who leave their little ones in Bengaluru and go back to their home or other countries are affected by climate change. Their offspring suffers from trauma. We don't have specialized centres to cure birds. This is why the migratory bird poplulation is dwindling," he added.
