A rare, nearly extinct lesser adjutant (madantak) has been tied up with rope and kept at a house in Shailkupa, Jhenaidah. Farmer Bipul Molla of Damukdia village in the upazila is keeping the bird at his home.

Every day large numbers of people from the surrounding villages crowd his house to see the rare bird. But after being held for several days, the bird, about 4 feet tall, is getting steadily weaker. It cannot fly, or even walk, and there are marks of injury on its legs. There are fears it could die at any time unless it is treated, rescued quickly and released.

The bird has been tied up since Monday, 28 January. It landed on a tree in the village that afternoon, and towards evening some overeager people caught it by prodding it with bamboo poles and trapping it in a net.

Suman Molla of Damukdia village said they had never seen such a bird before.

Bipul Molla, who is trying to tame the bird, said it had been moving from tree to tree in the village but could not fly. "I want to keep the bird healthy with first aid and by feeding it fish every day," he said.

However, a team from the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division in Khulna is reported to be coming to rescue the bird.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.