Latest news with #KartickSatyanarayan
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Heatwave affects urban wildlife in new delhi causing rise in rescues and dehydration cases
New Delhi: The severe heat and high humidity has also affected birds and animals, not merely humans. Veterinary hospitals and animal welfare organisations reported numerous instances of dehydrated birds and urban wildlife from hornbills to fruit bats. "The past few days saw a heatwave that affected wild animals in the city. Our dedicated team rescued birds, snakes, and mammals, with birds being more gravely affected by the heat," said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of animal rescue organisation Wildlife SOS. "Some of the species we rescued were barbet, black kite, pigeon, sparrow, myna, Indian grey hornbill, rhesus macaque, spectacled cobra, Indian wolf snake, even a bat. Black kites were most severely impacted as they tend to fly at higher altitudes in search of prey. This causes many of them to suffer heat stroke and dehydration." According to Muhammad Saud of animal service Wildlife Rescue, at least 150 birds were brought to the centre at Wazirabad by people who found them on the road gasping for air and clearly thirsty. Most of these were fledglings and nestlings, he said. The species rescued included crescent serpent eagles, barn owls, pond herons, buzzards, black kites, etc. "Throughout May, the weather was pleasant, unlike other years, and in June, within a week, everything flipped," said Saud. "In the past week, we tended to at least 150 birds. The cases spiked in the last four days, most being cases dehydration. This is breeding time and such cases occur a lot. People even reported that they saw birds crashing on the ground. We received around eight eagles and one Honey Buzzard. Among barn owls, most of the cases pertained to young chicks who had fallen off the nest. We rescue them, raise them and release them in the jungles at Kamla Nehru Ridge or Gandhi Mandu forest." Forest officials claimed the department was maintaining additional water sources at Asola for wildlife to cope with the extreme temperatures. "We clean the waterholes because during summer water needs to be replaced quickly. Two additional historic ponds were also refurbished. There are over 200 watering holes in Asola," said a forest official. In April and May, when the city saw sporadic episodes of extreme heat, nilgai were regularly spotted venturing from the Ridge in search of water. This prompted lieutenant governor VK Saxena to order DDA to create watering holes in the Ridge and city forests to provide animal relief. Several volunteers also reported that street dogs had become victims of the heat, some even succumbing to heatstroke. Several dog feeding points across the city are regularly resupplied with water by the volunteers. Besides, thunderstorms also impact wildlife. A strong storm on May 2 killed 200 birds in northwest Delhi alone. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Parakeet rescued from inside Parliament
A young rose-ringed Parakeet found its way into the Parliament complex on Friday. The bird, disoriented and unable to fly, was rescued by a team of wildlife enthusiasts. The security personnel alerted Wildlife SOS, a wildlife conservation non-profit, which sent its rapid response team to the spot. The bird was found sitting still and exposed, at the risk of injury. Veterinarians assessed the parakeet and found it was suffering from heat stress, which had left it weak and temporarily unable to fly. 'It is currently under close observation and receiving supportive medication to aid its recovery,' said the rescue team. 'A parakeet in Parliament may seem unusual, but it highlights how closely human spaces overlap with wild ones. Every call matters — whether from a city lane or significant institutions,' said Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS. The species is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, due to which it is illegal for sale or to be kept as a pet in India. However, in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list, it is listed as least concern. The bird species is native to Africa and South Asian regions, as per experts. The species, which is a common captive bird, is illegal to be caged as it is a native Indian bird which enjoys protection through the Wildlife Protection Act. Geeta Seshamani, co-founder and secretary of the organisation, added, 'It's amazing how even in the heart of our most guarded and urban spaces, a small bird can remind us of the wild lives we share this country with.' The team carefully captured the parakeet, placing it in a ventilated box designed to protect it from potential injuries or attacks from other animals in the vicinity. The bird was transported to the Wildlife SOS transit facility, for observation and supportive care. The team made sure that the bird remained protected from injuries or attacks by other birds or mammals in the area. It also said in a statement, Friday, 'The species' popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced their numbers in some parts of its native range, and remain major threats to the bird.' 'Our team ensured the rescue was swift and stress-free for the bird,' said Suvidha Bhatnagar, Director of Communications at Wildlife SOS. 'It's currently recuperating well, and we are hopeful it will soon be ready to return to the skies.' Once the parakeet is deemed fit to fly, it will be released into a suitable green space where it can thrive naturally, the team said. 'We have had more than 30 such heat-related bird rescue cases that took place since temperatures started increasing. This mostly happens due to exhaustion or heat stroke, causing dehydration,' said Neel Banerjee, communications officer at Wildlife SOS. Regarding the protocol to rescue bird species, Banerjee added, 'If a bird is found unable to fly or is disoriented, the rescuer first provides drinking water on site to rehydrate the bird.' The bird is later taken to the vet for a health assessment and kept under observation for a minimum of 1-2 days. The birds are then released upon recovery after adequate water and nourishment. 'Black kite, which are birds of prey, are one of the biggest victims of excess heat as they fly at high altitudes. They are vulnerable particularly to the scorching sun because they do this on a daily basis in search of prey.,' said Banerjee.
Axios
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Meet Bani, the baby elephant movie star making her SLC debut
A short film about a baby elephant is premiering this week in Salt Lake. Why it matters: The film is a fundraiser for Wildlife SOS, a conservation group working to protect India's elephants. What's inside:"Tours for Tusks" chronicles the recovery of Bani, a 9-month-old Asian elephant found gashed up and paralyzed after she was hit by a train that collided with her herd last year. The event also features a talk and Q&A with Wildlife SOS co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan. Guests get popcorn and a drink. Monthly donors also get a beanie to match one that was custom-made for Bani. When & where: The movie starts at 6pm Thursday at Brewvies.
