Uncommon sight, common problem as pelicans fly with plastic in mouth
The water bodies in and around Chennai attract birds of a wide variety. Nature lovers flock to some these places on weekends.
Published: 06th February 2019 04:38 AM
A spot-billed pelican flies with a discarded plastic bag stuck inside its mouth
Express News Service
CHENNAI: The water bodies in and around Chennai attract birds of a wide variety. Nature lovers flock to some these places on weekends. They are used to the sight of discarded plastic and liquor bottles piling up. Some have in fact noticed a rise in the volume of these over the last few years and although shocked, they are not totally surprised by the sight of a pelican flying with a piece of plastic stuck in its mouth, near the Sholinganallur lake.
“Not that I have not seen anything like this, but it’s not completely unexpected,” says Venkatesh Viswanath, a registered patent agent based in the city, who has been an avid bird-watcher for several years and a regular to these spots. “That’s because these places are filled with these things. Needless to say, this is harmful for the birds as well as humans. Unless the plastic ban is implemented properly, there is no respite. Even if it comes into effect, we have to see what is done with the plastic which is already out there in these places.”
Not just bird-watchers or nature lovers, those involved with animal rescue operations are also used to the problems posed by discarded plastic bags. Shravan Krishnan, who runs the Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary and also volunteers for the Forest Department, encountered a similar situation about six months ago.
“It was another pelican with a plastic ring stuck in its bill in such a way that it couldn’t open its mouth. This was near the Pallikaranai marshland (not far away from Sholinganallur) and the bird had to be captured before we could remove the object. Such problems are possibly on the rise,” says Shravan.
‘Not at risk’
Shravan feels the distressed pelican photographed near Sholinganallur is not in grave danger. “It’s difficult to capture these birds. So I’m not sure if the object can be removed by us. But going by the photograph, it seems the bag will come off on its own.”
The water bodies in and around Chennai attract birds of a wide variety. Nature lovers flock to some these places on weekends.
Published: 06th February 2019 04:38 AM
A spot-billed pelican flies with a discarded plastic bag stuck inside its mouth
| atreyo mukhopadhyay
Express News Service
CHENNAI: The water bodies in and around Chennai attract birds of a wide variety. Nature lovers flock to some these places on weekends. They are used to the sight of discarded plastic and liquor bottles piling up. Some have in fact noticed a rise in the volume of these over the last few years and although shocked, they are not totally surprised by the sight of a pelican flying with a piece of plastic stuck in its mouth, near the Sholinganallur lake.
“Not that I have not seen anything like this, but it’s not completely unexpected,” says Venkatesh Viswanath, a registered patent agent based in the city, who has been an avid bird-watcher for several years and a regular to these spots. “That’s because these places are filled with these things. Needless to say, this is harmful for the birds as well as humans. Unless the plastic ban is implemented properly, there is no respite. Even if it comes into effect, we have to see what is done with the plastic which is already out there in these places.”
Not just bird-watchers or nature lovers, those involved with animal rescue operations are also used to the problems posed by discarded plastic bags. Shravan Krishnan, who runs the Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary and also volunteers for the Forest Department, encountered a similar situation about six months ago.
“It was another pelican with a plastic ring stuck in its bill in such a way that it couldn’t open its mouth. This was near the Pallikaranai marshland (not far away from Sholinganallur) and the bird had to be captured before we could remove the object. Such problems are possibly on the rise,” says Shravan.
‘Not at risk’
Shravan feels the distressed pelican photographed near Sholinganallur is not in grave danger. “It’s difficult to capture these birds. So I’m not sure if the object can be removed by us. But going by the photograph, it seems the bag will come off on its own.”
No comments:
Post a Comment