Black Kite rescued from south Delhi colony

New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) A 'Black Kite' that was stuck due to a deadly 'manja' (nylon string covered with glass powder) on higher reaches of a tree in a south Delhi locality is currently under medical observation and will be released once declared fit.

The Black Kite was found hanging from a tree in a residential complex in Sheikh Sarai Phase-I of south Delhi when a resident of Triveni Apartments spotted it.

The bird had its wing entangled in the manja.

The residents immediately contacted the Wildlife SOS 24-hour rescue helpline (+91 9871963535) when a rescue team of Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit and the Delhi Fire Service rushed to the spot on Friday evening.

The Wildlife SOS veterinarians used a ladder to reach the bird as it was stranded in the topmost branch of the tall tree. A pole was used to gently move the bird without causing it any undue stress.

It is suspected that the bird may have been stuck there for two days and therefore was dehydrated.

"Our team provided water to the dehydrated bird and then carefully transferred it to a recovery facility," said Wildlife SOS, adding, "The Kite is currently under medical observation and will be released once declared fit by our veterinarians."

"The manja is a nylon string coated in glass, commonly used for kite flying. These strings can be lethal for birds as they can get entangled in them and suffer dire injuries," said Deputy Director (Special Projects) of Wildlife SOS, Wasim Akram.

In a separate incident, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit rescued another kite from Malviya Nagar, also in south Delhi two days ago.