Guwahati: The incident involving a ringed juvenile black-crowned night heron in Manipur’s Imphal reveals a series of collaborative efforts and cross-border cooperation in the conservation and tracking of migratory bird species.
On December 16, 2023, a resident of Sagoltongba in Imphal West district of Manipur found a black-crowned night heron, locally known as ‘Chongkhu,’ in his residential pond.
The bird had a ring on its leg and was injured after being bitten by a dog.
People For Animals Manipur (PFAM), an animal welfare organisation in Manipur, responded promptly to the information and rescued the injured bird.
The organisation shifted the heron to its animal rescue home in the Thoubal district.
The PFAM sent letters with pictures of the bird and the ring to several Chinese animal lovers’ groups seeking information about the bird. Initially, there was no immediate response to these inquiries.
PFAM then informed a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) about the discovery but received no reply.
Director of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS), Yat-Tung Yu, speculated that the ring might be from the National Bird Banding Centre (NBBC), China.
On January 23, 2024, the NBBC informed PFAM that the black-crowned night heron with tagging number JO8-0900 was banded at the Weishan Bird Banding Station in China’s capital Beijing on September 18, 2023. The heron unfortunately died on December 18, 2023.
PFAM has now preserved the carcass of the heron at its centre in Thoubal. With the obtained details, the organisation plans to dispose of the carcass soon. PFAM, being accredited by the Central Zoo Authority in New Delhi has the authority to rescue animals, treat the injured ones and study their details.
Despite the bird’s death, the incident highlights the importance of global initiatives in tracking and preserving migratory species. Cross-border cooperation played a crucial role in providing information about the bird’s origin and banding details.
The story underscores the collaborative efforts needed for the conservation of migratory bird species and the valuable role played by organisations like PFAM in animal welfare and research.