Peacock falls prey to Chinese string

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 6

Almost a month after a North American bird landed up at the People for Animal Shelter in Jalandhar, the Chinese string has now claimed another casualty. This time, a peacock lost a leg after it was found trapped with the string on the roof top of an Adampur trader’s shop.

After the Wildlife Department refused to take in the bird for treatment – and conveniently insisted it be sent to the PFA instead – the Adampur trader, basically a Jalandhar resident, brought the bird to the PFA at the Police Lines in Jalandhar.

Notably, ever since the North American bird’s wings were clipped, there has been a spate of birds with Chinese string injuries being dumped at the PFA by hapless do-gooders. Three eagles and nine pigeons have had their wings clipped or injured in the period that has transpired and nine of the pigeons are also presently under treatment at the shelter. One of the eagles is also being treated at the shelter.

Chander Bhushan, wildlife warden and in charge, People for Animals, said, “The bird (peacock) was trapped in the Chinese string. The string got coiled around one of its legs. It was carefully extricated by the do-gooder who hunted for a shelter and even called the wildlife department. Finally, by the time it came to us, its leg had gone bad, merely hanging with its body. We tried to bind it but since it didn’t work, it had to be removed. Pigeons hurt due to kite string land in with us almost on a daily-basis and within a few months over 15 birds easily make way to us.”

“The police, residents and even wildlife department all refer injured birds to us. Although it’s our work but such incidents call for some kind of action,” said Bhushan. While the Wildlife Department should be the nodal department to tackle sensitive animals and birds, interestingly, it has not chipped in with any kind of infrastructure or help to shoulder at least some of the PFA’s task.