Barn owl entangled in kite-flying string rescued in Raipur

RAIPUR: City police rescued a barn own that got itself entangled in the sharp kite-flying string (popularly known as manja) at the height of around 60 feet at station road in Narmadapara area.

The string was coiled around one of its feathers in the evening hours of Wednesday leaving the bird suspended in air at the edge of a tree branch for nearly 12 hours in a helpless situation.

Some passer-bys noticed the bird struggling to get detangled and called the emergency helpline number. Personnel from Ganj Thana police station reached the spot to rescue to the bird.

“With the support of the locals, one of our men brought down the bird using a ladder to reach that height. The string was coiled quite a lot and it took us a long time to remove it,” said Vijay Kumar, police station in-charge.

The barn owl had suffered a minor wound on its wing which was immediately cleaner. On offering the bird water, it was taken to the police station for further medical care.

Wildlife experts believe that human interaction with the wild has limited in urban spaces. “Owing to such limitations, there is a decline in empathy and compassion towards wildlife. The benevolent acts of the police will set an example. The human beings have lived in harmony with the wildlife,” said Anupam Singh, a wildlife activist.

Several youngsters took to flying kites during the lockdown in Raipur. The environmentalists have cautioned against the use of manja string as these pose a potential threat to birds.