CHENNAI: Oil stains removed from their wings, the 10
pelicans
housed at Children’s Park in Guindy were on Friday
released
back into their home, the Ennore Creek.
The birds were rescued by wildlife officials after an oil spill polluted Ennore Creek after cyclone Michaung hit the city. These birds were drenched in oil. The department, with the help of experts from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary (BMAD),
cleaned
the oil stains.
State forest secretary Supriya Sahu said this is the first time in the country that migratory birds drenched in oil were rescued, cleaned and safely released back into the same place from where they were rescued. The 10 birds were released in two batches. Soon after their release, five of the birds settled on the perch of a tree in the creek, while the remaining five were seen swimming, she said.
Chief veterinarian of the WTI, N V K Ashraf, said the birds could have been released more than a fortnight ago. “We wanted to check their swimming abilities after the oil stains were removed. For this, a specially designed tub with a capacity to hold 2,600 litres of water was brought to Children’s Park and kept in the enclosure. However, the pelicans never entered the tub. This is the reason for the delayed release of them,” he said.
Supriya Sahu said a team from BMAD and wildlife officials will monitor the released birds for a week from now on.
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