Injured peacocks a new problem in some areas

The birds are attacked by dogs and suffer fractures

Volunteers are rescuing peacocks from some neighbourhoods of Bengaluru.

Rahul J, volunteer rescuer, BBMP, saves about 100 birds and 60 snakes every month. “We are rescuing a lot of peacocks, and this is new to us,” he says.

Rescued birds and animals are assigned to People for Animals Hospital and Rescue Centre, Uttarahalli, Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre, Horamavu, or Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Bannerghatta, depending on where they are found.

Peacock injury cases are being reported from Peenya, R R Nagar, Bangalore University and Ullal.

The animals, after they recover, are released back where they were found as it is not safe to change their habitat.

Since the resumption of construction after the lockdowns, JCBs and earth movers have been causing injuries to snakes.

“They dig through the soil and the snakes and other reptiles come out,” says Rahul.

Dr Navaz Shariff, general manager, People for Animals, says snakes suffer spinal fractures. “They have only one bone, the spinal cord. If that gets injured, the nerves get paralysed and it takes months for them to get back any sensation,” he explains.

It takes two months to set fractures right and physiotherapy for up to two months to restore sensation.

Peacocks are chased and bitten by dogs. “There was a case where a peacock rescued from Peenya had multiple wing fractures due to dog bites. The surgery took us about three hours,” he says.

How to handle a snake

Yashas Bharadwaj, wildlife conservationist and part of Swift Wildlife Action Team (SWAT), offers advice to snake rescuers: “Never handle a snake by holding its head. The second you hold the neck, the aggressive movement ends up breaking its bone.”

Call only if necessary

Prasanna Kumar, Bengaluru urban district wildlife warden, gets 65 to 70 rescue calls a day. “We can’t attend to all of them,” he says.

Wildlife can survive minor injuries. Unlike domestic animals, wild animals can tackle things on their own, he says. “If we rescue a wild animal for a small problem, its recovery rate comes down and may result in death,” he explains. “They do not know how to respond positively to human nurturing unless the injury is too severe.” His advice: ”If you see a peacock in an empty place, let it be. Call for help only if it is on your property.”

Need help?

BBMP’s wildlife wing: 2222 1188, 99027 94711

Karnataka Forest Department: 1926

PFA rescue helpline: 9900025370, 9980339880