An injured eagle has been nursed back to full health and released into nature in Rajbari. The eagle was freed at about 5:30pm on Tuesday, 15 October, after nearly four months.

Present were Rubaiyat Md Ferdous, deputy director of the district social services office, acting district forest officer Sheikh Humayun Kabir, Sadar upazila livestock officer Dr Khayer Uddin Ahmed, animal-loving journalist Liton Chakraborty and many others.

In early July this year, after a call to 999, forest department officials rescued the rare eagle with a broken wing from the Basantapur area of Rajbari Sadar upazila. They took it to the upazila livestock office for first aid. But the vet said the bird would need to be kept and cared for over some time, and they had no such facility.

The forest officer then handed the injured eagle to journalist Liton Chakraborty, known as an animal lover, for care. Liton kept it in a room at his Aram Ghar, a cultural education centre for children, and looked after it. After about two months, when the eagle had partly recovered, it flew away unnoticed. Then, about two months later in September, the bird suddenly returned injured and perched on the roof of a house next to Aram Ghar. Members of Aram Ghar rescued it and began caring for it again.

Liton Chakraborty lives in the TNT Para area of the district town. He loves animals and culture, and children practise cultural activities regularly at the Aram Ghar he founded.

Liton Chakraborty said that at the forest officer's request, the bird was brought about four months ago from the livestock office to Aram Ghar, which works on culture and biodiversity. After about two months of care the injured eagle flew away before it could be released, then suddenly came back injured two months later. After about another month of care, the eagle recovered and was formally released.

Rajbari Sadar upazila livestock officer Dr Khayer Uddin Ahmed said the injured eagle had been released fully healthy, and it flew off as soon as it was put on the ground.

Acting Rajbari district forest officer Sheikh Humayun Kabir said journalist Liton Chakraborty had nursed the eagle back to health over nearly four months in two phases, under the supervision of the Sadar upazila livestock officer. It was released because it was fit to live in the wild.

Rubaiyat Md Ferdous, deputy director of the Rajbari district social services office, said the forest department, the livestock office and Liton Chakraborty together had done a humane deed, and it set an example: rescuing an injured bird, healing it and releasing it again. Inspired by Liton Chakraborty's work, someone who found a small puppy on the road at night had brought it here, and the sick puppy now looked lively and healthy, he said.

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