China identifies tagging site of heron found in Imphal
Source: Chronicle News Service / Waari Singbul Network
Imphal, January 29 2024:
People for Animal (PEA) Manipur has been informed that a ringed juvenile black-crowned night heron, which landed at a local pond in Imphal and died recently, was banded in its leg at Weishan bird banding station, Beijing.
The Manipur animal lovers' group received the information after strenuous efforts to get details of the tagged migratory bird known as Chongkhu in the state.
"We are happy that the Chinese bird conservationists' group has given the information of the bird," said Biswajeet Meitei, managing trustee of PFA Manipur said on Monday.
Narrating the chain of events on the matter, Biswajeet said that on December 16 last year, a person from Sagoltongba in Imphal West district informed PFA that a bird with a ring in its leg was found injured at his residential pond after being bitten by a dog.
"We immediately rushed there and found injures on the black-crowned night heron's legs and wings and kept the bird at our animal rescue home in Thoubal," Biswajeet said, while adding that the bird unfortunately died on December 18.On December 16, Biswajeet sent letters with pictures of the bird and the ring to several Chinese animal lovers' groups, seeking information of the winged guest but no response was received.
He also personally informed the matter to a scientist of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun but no reply was received.
On December 22, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS) director Yat-Tung Yu wrote to him (Biswajeet), speculating that the ring was used by the NBBC.
"Finally, on January 23, the National Bird Banding Centre (NBBC) China mailed me, informing that the heron, with its tagging number J08-0900, was banded at Weishan Bird banding station, Beijing on September 18, 2023," he said.
"We had preserved the carcass of the bird at our centre in Thoubal district headquarters awaiting confirmation.
As we have now got its details, we will dispose it soon," he added.
As PFA Manipur has been accredited by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi, "we are empowered to rescue animals, treat injured one and study their details," Biswajeet said.
Despite the bird's unfortunate demise, this cross-border cooperation highlights the importance of global initiatives in tracking and preserving migratory species.