By Carly Ikuma
Jan. 14, 2006 was a hectic day for staff at the Animal Help Foundation in Ahmadabad, Gujarat province, India. From 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., the clinic received one bird every five minutes, most of them seriously injured and some already dead.
Each year, thousands of birds are severely injured or killed during Uttarayan, the annual kite-flying festival held in several provinces in India. Also know as Makarsakranti, this festival marks the end of the winter season. But the festival is no celebration for India's birds, especially the Indian white-rumped vulture, a disappearing species.
Birds and other animals are at risk from the maanja, or kite string, in addition to the obvious hazards of thousands of kites in the air. These strings are coated with crushed glass so that competitors can try to slash one another's kites from the air. These exposed shards are so sharp that they often must be applied to the kite strings with gloves.
Birds are not the only ones injured in this festival. Each year, hundreds of people are cut by the maanja, or fall from a balcony or rooftop in an attempt to dominate the skies with their paper creations. The litter of downed kites, which get tangled in nests and power lines, places both people and animals at risk.
Larger birds such as flamingos, herons, eagles and cranes are most at risk because they have a broader wingspan; but pigeons, doves, crows and other smaller birds are also in danger.
Kites Could Cause Vulture Extinction
No animal is more threatened by Uttarayan than the Indian white-rumped vulture. It is estimated that their population has declined 90 percent due to secondary poisoning in the last 10 years. Already on Schedule 1 (most endangered) of India's Wildlife Protection Act, this bird is in critical danger of extinction, and the kite festival isn't helping. Out of a total population of 80-90 vultures in Ahmadabad, 16 were found injured following the festival in 2006, signifying a serious threat to a species on the threshold of disappearing forever.
Rehabilitated vultures are kept at AHF's center for conservation studies. Even though many of these birds will never fly again, they still play a vital role in the preservation of their species. AHF works in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London, which provides vulture experts to help in the rehabilitation of these exotic creatures.
Most people are simply unaware that underneath a sky of colorful kites lies a cruelty that could very well bring the last of a species to extinction. So AHF has taken it upon itself to educate the public.
Education and Rehabilitation
In December 2005, one month prior to the start of Uttarayan, AHF launched a new educational campaign that dispatched volunteers to local schools, colleges and communities to inform people of the dangers that the kite festival poses to birds.
These efforts have proven successful, and many people are becoming more cautious during the festival. Thanks to AHF's efforts, people are also aware of the presence of emergency centers where birds may be taken if injured. In 2005, AHF established 33 of these satellite centers across Ahmadabad to aid with the enormous intake of birds during Uttarayan.
Humane Society International helped fund renovations to AHF's bird rehabilitation center in December 2005, providing needed equipment and updated gear to better help with the overwhelming amount of injured birds they receive during Uttarayan. According to AHF, almost 70 percent of injured birds brought to the center during the festival succumb to their wounds. Of those that survive, nearly 90 percent are left permanently disabled and cannot be released back in to their natural habitats.
HSI continues to work with AHF on its many projects and monitors their continued success with educational programs, rehabilitation projects and sterilization clinics. In 2006, AHF marked the fourth year of its 'Help the Birds' campaign, and the organization foresees many more years working on this issue during Uttarayan. HSI applauds the hard work it does on behalf of Ahmadabad's animals.
Carly Ikuma is a program assistant for Humane Society International.
