A black kite caught in a manja was rescued by Wildlife SOS, a non governmental organisation (NGO) working for animal welfare, and released back into its natural habitat. The bird was found at the official residence of a senior government officer from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Janpath.

Distress call

“Wildlife SOS responded to a distress call about a kite that was found at a senior government official’s residence on Tuesday. The kite had a manja (glass-coated string) entwined around its wings and was struggling to free itself. On finding the bird in such a perilous situation, the security officers immediately contacted Wildlife SOS requesting their assistance,” a release issued by the NGO said.

No severe injuries

A two-member team rushed to the location and after ensuring that minimum stress was caused during the process, carefully extricated the distressed bird from the manja. Luckily, there were no severe injuries and the bird was later released back into the wild.

Manager of Wildlife SOS Special Projects Wasim Akram said: “The dangerous glass–coated manja strings used for flying kites could easily cut through the soft flesh of birds and cause severe damage to their wings and limbs. Despite a ban by the Delhi government, manja continue to be sold in markets, thereby threatening both animal and human lives.”

Safe alternatives

The release added that Delhi’s varied avian population remains threatened as they are easily caught in the glass-coated strings while in flight or when resting on trees. Trading in the gum and glass coated nylon strings for safer alternatives made out of cotton or natural fibres could help reduce the risks of related fatalities and save numerous lives.