As per a report reaching the capital Dishpur on 15th September’08, about 1000 Openbill Stork- an endangered Asian specie- died when a century old banyan tree, on which the birds were nesting, collapsed in the Banglung Siam village of Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Arup Ballab Goswami, the wildlife warden there said, “We have already counted 800 dead birds and the number is increasing. Most of the nests had chicks since this was the breeding season. Almost all the chicks died.”
Goswami further added, there are three banyan trees clustered near a Buddhist Temple. One got uprooted last night since its root has become weak. The tree was over 100 years old.
A forest officer, Dibyadhar Shyam said that the birds had been nesting on that tree over the past 50 years and numbers were increasing every year because the Buddhist villagers in the surrounding never harmed them. The tree probably collapsed under the weight of the birds. “These birds flew away during January-March only to return again to nest,” he said.
A rescue team from the Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) is treating the injured birds, most of which have broken wings and legs and are in critical condition. Prosanto Baro, a CWRC veterinarian, said most of the injured birds could not be rescued since the area is marshy and covered by thick jungles. “We have treated only 70 so far,” he said.
India, Sri Lanka and some Southeast Asian countries are the habitat of these openbill storks. Biologically termed Anastomus oscitans, it breeds near wetlands, nests on big trees and feeds on snails, frogs, large insects etc.
Forests officials say that no population survey of this variety of stork has been carried out in Assam in recent times but their population is decreasing every year.
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