Living conservation: the legend of “SR”

Ahmedabad, 5 February 2013

Ahmadabad is Gujarat’s largest and most crowded city. But among the busy streets of Ahmadabad there are few pockets which are home to several dozen White Rumped Vultures, a critically endangered species facing the threat of extinction. This species has declined over 99% in last 20 years in whole of Indian subcontinent. The major reason for their decline is use of Diclofenac Sodium in treatment of domestic livestock. The vultures are exposed to this drug through the livestock carcasses on which they feed and upon feeding on such diclofenac containing carcass they die in 3-5 days due to kidney failure and visceral gout.

One more threat apart from diclofenac which is faced by the vultures of Ahmedabad is kite festival. Every year on 14-15 January the sky in Ahmadabad and whole of Gujarat becomes full of colorful kites. People of age and all religion get engrossed in flying cutting each other’s kites using the sharp glass powder coated strings known as “Manja”. Our mere joy of cutting kites turns in a massacre for the actual owners of the sky- our feathered friends.

Every year in Ahmedabad city alone almost 3000 birds fall victim of these kite strings, and among these are a few vultures also. In last three years only we have rescued 51 White Rumped Vultures injured by kite strings and SR is one of them who have been a matter of great proud for all of us who are involved in the rescue activity of vultures.

“SR” is a female vulture that was rescued from Ahmedabad on 2nd Feb 2010, by Mr. Mukesh Bhati .

When she was rescued we dint know that it was a female vulture. It had injury in the wing due to kite string and got treatment at van chetna Kendra (Rescue center) for 12 days. Finally it recovered and was released on 12-2-2010, with a leg ring fitted on its left leg. The ring was yellow with black engraving “SR”. We have released other vultures with leg rings but SR is the one which is most frequently sighted.

In last two years many times it was sighted and people use to send us photographs and notes. Finally we sighted SR making a nest in Ahmedabad in 2012. From that we came to know that she was a female. We also sighted her 55km away from the nesting site at a carcass sump along with 60-70 White Rumped Vultures. And we could not control our joy when we saw her chick. So cute and so heart touching moment it was!!!! We all eagerly wait for the baby SR to take its first majestic flight from the nest.

SR always gives us the hope for the bright future of these magnificent masters of sky. When we saw her baby we all were so happy as if a new child has born in our family. It gives us a feeling that it’s not “The last flight” but it will be “The first flight”.

Hundreds of young and enthusiastic people are associated with the bird rescue operation, and one such example is enough to keep the good work on.

Photo captions

The first re-sight shot of SR, 24July 2011 by Divyaraj Shah @ University Ground Ahmedabad
16July 2012, by Dr. Amish Patel @ GMDC ground Ahmedabad, feeding on a carcass
17Sep 2012, Mating and Nest Building, M.G. Science college Ahmedabad, by Shewin Everett
18Nov 2012, Virpur Panjrapol Carcass Dump, 55km from Ahmedabad, by Aditya Roy
Finally, 14th Jan 2013, SR’s baby approx. 15 day young, by Aditya Roy
SR in flight, by Aditya Roy