Nearly 30 birds injured due to kite strings during Makar Sankranti in Mumbai

Nearly 30 birds injured due to kite strings were rescued from various parts of Mumbai during Makar Sankranti on Monday, a forest official said. Distress calls were received from different parts of the city and nearly 30 birds have been rescued since this morning, said Pawan Sharma, founder and president of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) and the honorary wildlife warden with the forest department.

He said more cases will emerge in the coming weeks as kite strings will be found on trees, soil and water, as they are non-biodegradable.

Birds have sustained fatal injuries such as torn, fractured wings due to glass coated, Chinese and nylon kite strings, said Dr Rina Dev of the RiWild Sanctuary.

“We appeal to citizens and rescuers to try their best to remove and dispose of discarded kite strings from rescue sites, Sharma said.