Lockdown pastime imperils birds: Manja wounded 633 avians last year in Bengaluru

Kite flying, the favourite lockdown pastime of many Bengalureans, seriously imperilled the lives of birds, statistics show.

Last year, as many as 633 birds suffered injuries caused by the dangerous nylon Manja, the most commonly used thread to make kites. This figure was 177 in 2020 and just 102 the year before. In other words, the number of bird injuries caused by Manja saw a whopping 500% increase in just two years.

The nylon Manja, mostly Chinese-made, is the preferred thread for kites because it’s easy to use, stronger and heavier than threads made of say, cotton. But it’s also far more dangerous for birds as well as human beings than other threads.

There have been instances of bystanders and motorcyclists suffering serious injuries after getting entangled in Manja.

The dangers of Manja use are once being talked about as Bengaluru gears up to celebrate Makara Sankranti on Saturday, January 15. Kite flying is an integral part of the harvest festival.

The city-based PFA Wildlife Hospital and Rescue Centre recently organised a webinar on ‘Kite vs Kite: Understanding the perils of using the deadly Manja thread’ to create awareness among the public.

In 2021, the hospital rescued and treated 633 birds that suffered Manja injuries, up from 177 in 2020 and 102 in 2019.

Besides birds, a number of smaller species also suffered Manja injuries. Twenty-five small species were injured in 2021, 13 in 2020 and 17 in 2019.

Dr Navaz Shariff, chief veterinarian at the hospital, said birds can suffer a range of injuries by getting entangled in these threads.

These include flight feather damage, patagium tear, bone fractures upon hitting a tree or falling from a tree struggling to get Manja threads off and other injuries to the head, neck and legs.

Speakers at the webinar also spoke about how Manja threads have found their way into bird nests, too. Birds sometimes use Manja threads as nesting materials but chicks get entangled in these strings and suffer injuries.

Dr Shariff urged people to boycott the use of Manja and buy kites that have cotton threads. He also asked them to report Manja manufacturers or salespersons to the local authorities. It’s also necessary to keep an eye out for birds that may have fallen victims to the threads and alert animal rescuers, he added.

Check out latest videos from DH: