Dinesh Kamath's news 'End cruelty to flamingoes, say activists' that was published in Newsband

End cruelty to flamingoes, say activists

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Desperate attempts are being made by activists and bird lovers to save flamingoes in Uran by conducting awareness camps.

These activists were shocked when they spotted some villagers capturing flamingoes for meat. The activists took up the matter with the range forest authorities to put an end to this kind of cruelty.

The overhead power cables pose a danger to the lives of flamingoes which while flying sustain injuries when they get hit by cables. This makes the task of capturing the flamingoes easier for the poachers who kill, cook and eat them.

The activists asked the authorities to have the place where flamingoes exists well guarded and to also have some veterinary doctor around to promptly attend to those flamingoes who sustain injuries.

These birds visit Uran only during the winter months and hence the activists were of the opinion that during this period they should be give total security from poachers and other dangers. “People of Uran should consider themselves as lucky since they get the glimpse of flamingoes every winter season. The residents of many other places are not so lucky since these birds do not visit the place where they are residing. Hence the Uran residents should take good care of these birds and treat them like guests,” said an activist.

The activists are trying to explain to the villagers that poaching, killing, cooking and consuming of these innocent, beautiful and harmless birds is not the right thing to do. These villagers do understand what the activists are trying to say when they are spoken to in simple language and many of them do get transformed and they stop the cruelty towards these birds. But there are some who are stubborn and continue with the evil practice.  

“I was shocked to see some parts of the flamingoes, like feathers and beaks, spread at a certain spot in Uran. This was the clear indication of the fact that these birds were being given cruel treatment by some locals,” said one of the activists.

Both the range forest officers, activists and bird lovers have now joined hands to put an end to cruelty to flamingoes.