A black-shouldered kite narrowly escaped death after becoming entangled in kite-flying manja and getting stuck on a tree branch along the Aarey forest road in Mumbai on Thursday evening.
The bird was found hanging several feet above the ground, struggling to free itself and clearly in distress.
The incident was first spotted by Imran Udat, an Aarey resident and nature enthusiast, who noticed the trapped raptor while passing through the area.
He immediately informed officials of the Forest Department from Sanjay Gandhi National Park, who rushed to the spot.
Fire brigade called for rescue
As the bird was trapped at a considerable height and could not be reached easily, forest officials sought help from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, officials said.
Firefighters arrived soon after and, working closely with forest staff, used specialised equipment to safely bring the bird down from the tree.
Manja carefully removed
Officials said the manja string had tightly wrapped around the bird’s body, wings and feathers. The string was carefully removed to avoid causing further injury.
The bird was found to be exhausted and dehydrated, having remained trapped for several hours.
After the rescue, the black-shouldered kite was given water and shifted for medical observation and treatment.
Forest officials said the bird will be released back into the wild once it regains strength and shows no signs of injury.
Call to stop use of manja
Speaking about the incident, Imran Udat urged people to act responsibly.
“People must stop using manja altogether. These sharp strings are deadly for birds. Every year we see such avoidable injuries and deaths. A few hours of fun should not cost a life,” he said.
