UNDER THREAT: Carcasses of pariah kites were found near the Hebbal Lake in Mysore on Sunday. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: "Pariah kites" were found dead near Hebbal Lake in Mysore on Sunday, apparently after consuming chicken waste dumped in the vicinity.

Sources said that the kites would have died owing to poisoning caused by consumption of stale chicken and chicken waste.

Local residents said they had sighted decomposed carcasses of nearly 15 kites around the lake. This suggested that the birds would have died a couple of days ago. The number could be much more as no count of carcasses had been taken so far by the officials, they said.

It has been common for "pariah kites" to hover over the lake on the outskirts of Mysore, looking for prey.

The dumping of chicken waste and food residue from hotels gave them easy food.

Bird-watchers and conservationists have expressed concern over the plight of the kites as well as that of the lake in the light of mass dumping of chicken waste. The area would become a breeding ground for various diseases if waste continued to be dumped there, they said.

The residents, who are facing fear of a `chikungunya' outbreak in the city. said that the area was stinking of chicken waste and garbage from hotels. Vehicles carrying waste reached the area late in the night or in the early hours, they added.

Manu of Mysore Amateur Naturalists told The Hindu that the kites could be affected the same way vultures were during 1994-2000.

"Nobody thought vultures would ever become endangered. But this became a reality owing to the use of paracetamol by the mechanised poultry industry. Vultures that feasted on poultry waste died of kidney failure. Today, the total number of vultures in the world is a mere 8,000, he added.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail