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Abandoned sea eagle nurtured by wildlife staff

Kendrapara (Orissa): A baby white-bellied sea eagle, abandoned by its mother in the Bhitarkanika National Park on the Orissa coast has been nurtured back to health and released in the wild by Wildlife personnel, Forest Department sources said on Tuesday.

The tiny fortnight-old fledgling found gasping for life in the mangrove forest about two months ago by wildlife personnel and tenderly nurtured back to strength was released in the wild on Sunday, the sources said.

"We released the bird as it had gained mobility and strength to fly in nature," Ajay Kumar Jena, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove Forest Division, said.

The eagle was spotted by forest guards stationed at an Olive Ridley turtle protection camp in the Barunei mangrove forest last January, he said.

"We immediately decided to save the abandoned bird. Expert opinion as to how to nurture the bird was sought from ornithologists of the State forest department," he said.

The bird regained its strength in the natural environment of the forest under the watchful eyes of a forest guard who collected worms and insects for the sea eagle's daily diet and protected it from predators. After two months of care, after it could spread its wings and fly to some distance, it was released in the wild on the advice of ornithologists, Jena said.

The white bellied sea eagles, though few in number, are sighted in the Bhitarkanika National Park and the wetlands of Chilika. The population of these birds in the Orissa coast is said to be less than 1,000. -- PTI

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