Baby Bird, Russell’s Viper rescued in delicate operation by Wildlife SOS
The bird appeared to have an eye infection and is currently under medical supervision.
Animal Rescue: On Monday, a baby red-throated lapwing was found in the premises of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s residence in New Delhi. One of the residence reception staff noticed the distressed bird in the garden and immediately alerted Wildlife SOS on the 24×7 helpline number.
The baby bird turned out to have an eye infection and is currently under medical supervision by the NGO.
After receiving the information, a two-person team from the NGO rushed to the scene. A close inspection by the rescuers revealed that the bird was suffering from an infection in its right eye. The team took extreme precautions when transferring the bird to a transit facility.
The bird is currently in the care of the NGO and will be released back into the wild as soon as it is deemed appropriate.
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said, “We are grateful to the staff member working at the residence of the Minister of Finance of the Hon’ble Union for alerting Wildlife SOS to this emergency. This shows a high level of compassion on their part and sets an example for others to follow. During the summer season, the plight of birds is a serious concern as we receive numerous calls related to bird rescues. But our awareness work over the years has helped people step up and save more wildlife.”
In another incident, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit received a call about Russell’s viper late that same day. The highly venomous snake was spotted near the lawn at Bhagirathi Water Treatment Plant in Gokulpuri. The NGO rescuer was extremely careful, given the venomous nature of the snake, and safely freed the nearly three-foot-long reptile from a burrow.
Wasim Akram, Deputy Director of Special Projects, Wildlife SOS commented: “Getting a call for the rescue of Russell’s viper is extremely rare. However, our team of professionals are experts in venomous snake rescue after years of experience and countless rescues. Due to irrational fear and misconception, snakes are already misunderstood animals. We are pleased that the callers were sensitive to the presence of the snake and alerted our helpline.”
Wildlife SOS 24×7 helpline number: +91 9871963535