Rajkot: Nearly 20 common cranes and Demoiselle cranes have made Porbandar their home for the past seven years, not out of choice but out of compulsion.
These birds, which had migrated from Siberia and other Eurasian regions, were severely injured during the Uttarayan festival in 2011 and could not fly. They were then shifted to Porbandar Birds Sanctuary and have been living there since then.
Some bird lovers feed these cranes, but the food is not enough. Sources said there were nearly 80 cranes that got injured in 2011 and all were shifted to this sanctuary. All, but these 20 could fly back. Nearly 2 lakh cranes migrate in different wetlands near Porbandar in winters and fly back to their original country in March-end before summer begins.
Bharat Rughani, president of Porbandar Bird Conservation Society, said, “I used to feed 30kg granules when their number was big. Now, they need 6kg granules daily. However, our society also has some limitations and can’t provide them enough food. We have urged people who give grains in temple to come here to feed these cranes.”
Rughani said that these cranes are unable to mate because of injuries and the environment.
Some bird lovers also complained that the forest department allows people to enter the sanctuary for morning walks, which disturb these injured birds.
When contacted, Porbandar divisional forest officer Kamlesh Bhavsar denied that these cranes are inside the sanctuary. However, he refused to divulge what the “real” issue was despite repeated queries.
