A sick Himalayan griffon, an endangered vulture species, has been rescued from the Kochhim Bazar area of Sundarganj in Gaibandha.
The student environmental organisation Team for Energy and Environmental Research (TEER) rescued the vulture with the help of the forest department at midday on Monday 5 January, and then handed it over to the Rangpur forest department.
How the bird was found
According to local sources, Amin Hossain, a resident of the Sicha-Kochhim Bazar area of Sundarganj upazila, saw the vulture lying sick on Sunday morning. On hearing of it on Monday morning, a team from TEER's Gaibandha Government College unit went to the spot. With the help of local people they rescued the bird, took it first to the Gaibandha forest department and gave it first aid.
Present at the rescue were former unit president Jisan Mahmud, publicity secretary Mezbahul Haque, executive member Nifaul Islam, members Kashfiha Khanam and Saimum Islam, and other members of the organisation.
Why the vultures come down
Sultan Ahmed, programme assistant at IUCN, the alliance of nature conservation organisations, said these vultures come down to the plains in November and December because they cannot bear the extreme cold and snowstorms of the Himalayas. Tired after the long journey, they are often unable to fly while resting, and local people mistake this for illness.
Mosharraf Hossain, president of TEER's Gaibandha Government College unit, said Bangladesh once had seven vulture species, but the king vulture is now completely endangered and only around 260 Bengal vultures survive in the country. In this situation, protecting the Himalayan griffon is extremely urgent, he said.
TEER adviser Khalilur Rahman said these birds, known as nature's sweepers, keep the environment free of disease by eating the flesh of dead animals.
He said the vulture was handed to the Rangpur forest department on the advice of IUCN official Sultan Ahmed and Shariful Islam, the officer in charge at the Gaibandha forest department. From there it will be sent to the vulture rescue and care centre at Singra National Park in Dinajpur for better care.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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