Bird activist rescues barn owl injured by kite string

A barn owl entangled in Chinese string was rescued and given first-aid by city-based avian enthusiast and activist Amit Sharma here on Friday. He found the bird injured and helpless at Company Bagh, home to several species of birds and nocturnal animals.

Advertisement

“I got a call from a person in Amritsar that a bird was lying injured and needed to be rescued. I went to the place and saw this beautiful barn owl had its right wing injured and it was not able to fly. I had a telephonic conversation with officials of the Forest Department and they extended support to rescue it, but being a Sunday, the department was closed and they didn’t have a cage right then. So, I brought it home, gave it first-aid and later handed it over to the Forest Department officials,” shared Amit.

A few days ago, Amit along with other volunteers, rescued a western marsh harrier, a species of bird at Harike wetlands, which had sustained similar injuries.

With the Lohri festival round the corner, kite-flying has been a major pastime for youngsters. Above that, the use of deadly Chinese string despite the ban and police check, the string has been creating problems for birds.