The Hindu               13.05.2013

Two eagles, a crow recuperate at Coimbatore Corporation Zoo

Two injured eagles (Indian Black Kites) and a crow were rescued from different parts of the district on Saturday, which was also World Migratory Bird Day. The birds are under treatment at the Coimbatore Corporation Zoo.

According to Corporation Zoo director K. Asokan, one of the eagles was rescued from Selvapuram after two people spotted the bird lying on the roadside entangled in a heap of garbage. Estimated to be around four years old, he said that the kite’s right leg was completely paralysed and had to be amputated. If severe arterial disease was left untreated, he said that lack of blood circulation will subsequently increase the pain. Tissues in the leg would die due to lack of oxygen and nutrients, which will lead to infection and gangrene. In some cases, gangrene can be very dangerous as the infection can spread throughout the body and become life-threatening.

Now, after the amputation, he said, it had recovered enough to stand on a leg and fly. As the bird was reluctant to leave, he said, it will be kept in the zoo for the time being.

The other eagle, Dr. Asokan said, was around a year old and was rescued from Podanur. Corneal opacity had formed in its left eye which was affecting its vision. It can be rectified only by surgery and the zoo was in the process of getting expert opinion for the purpose. Further, a two-week-old crow with congenital defects in both its legs was also rescued and brought to the zoo. It was now being fed at the zoo, he added.

Cat snake rescued

A one-and-a-half-year-old common cat snake was rescued from Somayampalayam near Thadagam in the district on Saturday by the members of Mother of All Snakes organisation.

According to K. Santosh Kumar and R. Rajesh Kumar from the organisation, they received a call at around 11.30 a.m. on Saturday and rescued the snake within the next hour or so. It was found to be a male adult and was in a good condition.

It was released into the forest areas near Anaikatti on the same day at around 4 p.m. after informing the Forest Department.

Mr. Santosh said that this species was found only in the Western Ghats. Cat snakes are mildly venomous and will not affect humans. The poison was lethal only on its prey such as geckos and frogs. It lays eggs, mostly between four and eight at a time, in the tree burrows.

The organisation could be contacted at the following mobile no: 9976776539.