Pelican post surgery, showing off a figure of eight bandage in vanilla smelling Wrapz. Credit WVI
Extracting kite string from the wing of a demoiselle crane. Copyright WVI
Casualties of the Uttarayan Kite Festival
Every year since 2012 WVI has been helping Indian animal welfare charity, the Jivdaya Charitable Trust, to treat thousands of birds injured in this international event, providing practical clinical expertise and training local vets and other volunteers in the process. We are also involved in research to better inform triage procedures and further boost survival rates.
Sarus crane in field. Credit Vishal Jadhav
What’s the problem with kite flying?
Each January, the Indian state of Gujarat celebrates Uttarayan – the end of winter and the coming of spring – with displays of kite flying. The biggest event happens in the city of Ahmadabad. Here thousands take part in the spectacular International Kite-Flying Festival. Among the festivities, there are numerous kite-fighting events, where the objective is to bring down your opponent’s kite. For this, special string which has been coated with ground glass, or lethally tough but thin plastic string, is used. These fighter-kite lines are particularly dangerous for birds, thousands of which are killed or injured each year. Typically, birds flying through fields of kites are cut by the strings, which most often partially sever wings. Many die of shock following injury.In addition, all kinds of kites and strings get entangled in trees and other places and cause problems for birds for months afterwards. The legs and wings of birds that roost, nest or simply fly past can become entangled, leaving animals hanging upside down and often facing a slow and miserable death.
White backed vulture. Credit Rajdeep Viabhav
Which birds are most likely to be affected?
Pigeons are the most commonly affected bird (with 1400 casualties in 2013), but owls, waterfowl, and, ironically, kites are also involved. Other birds of prey among the casualties include the Critically Endangered white-backed vulture and the Endangered Egyptian vulture. The black kite is one of the most commonly injured, while the Vulnerable sarus crane is also known to be a victim. Typically, around 1000 birds are seen in a week. Some mammals are also usually among the casualties.
What is WVI doing to help?
Local animal welfare charity, the Jivdaya Charitable Trust, sets up rescue camps around the city and runs a makeshift surgery for injured birds during the festival, but struggles to cope with the high numbers and severity of injuries. Indian vets have little training in avian medicine and none in non-domestic species. This is where WVI has been able to help, providing practical clinical assistance and on-going training of local vets.
Pelican post surgery, showing off a figure of eight bandage in vanilla smelling Wrapz. Credit WVI
In 2012, WVI first sent out our specialist avian surgeon, Johanna Storm. She was struck both by the number of birds requiring treatment and the severity of their injuries. At the same time, she was enormously impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the staff and volunteers of the Jivdaya Charitable Trust. For the next four years, Johanna was able to provide surgical and post-operative expertise, training local vets in the process, with dramatic results. And it’s not just qualified vets who have been able to benefit from her involvement. In 2013, for instance, those who participated included 25 veterinary students, several human doctors and surgeons, and a further 50 non-medical volunteers.
Over the years, Johanna has helped improve protocols and procedures for dealing with the birds, through triage, recovery and rehabilitation. She has advised on rehabilitation facilities, with a particular emphasis on how endangered species are treated, and has been able to transport and demonstrate essential equipment.
Extracting kite string from the wing of a demoiselle crane. Copyright WVI
In 2015, the WVI team grew to include exotic vet nurse, Matt Rendle, and volunteer vet Stefan Harsch. Although Johanna wasn’t able to be there herself for the 2016 clinic, Matt, Stefan and a vet nurse intern, Kelly Deane, rose to the challenge. They were able to report back on considerable improvements in procedures thanks to Johanna’s previous work. In 2017, Stefan was joined by vet nurse Kiane McAbe, and a senior vet nurse from ZLS London Zoo. Kiane carried out research into whether simple blood tests can be used to predict the chances of short-term survival for victims, potentially indicating which require the most intensive care. We expect that the results of this work will be used to help further inform triage from 2018.
How does the clinic work?
The temporary clinic is very effectively run by the Jivdaya Charitable Trust. Birds are brought in by the public or by mobile ambulance from the rescue camps around the city. They are checked in and a sock is put over their head to calm them.
WVI introduced the giving of subcutaneous fluids at this point as the birds often arrive very dehydrated. Hydration starts the birds on to the road to recovery and enables them to cope with surgery much better.
The birds are put in labelled baskets, with their admission notes close by, and await surgery. Following treatment, they are wrapped in towels while recovering from anaesthesia, and then moved into small animal crates or special aviaries to recuperate. The aim is then to release them back into the wild.
What next?
Apart from the need for on-going training in surgical techniques, better understanding of post-operative care and the development of more suitable facilities are essential if the survival rate for birds in the future is to continue to rise. (WVI’s involvement to date has resulted in an increase in the survival rate of non-pigeon species from around 50% to over 90%.) This is particularly critical for birds of prey and the larger waterfowl, like pelicans, which have had successful surgery but need careful rehabilitation if they are to survive back in the wild.
And Ahmadabad is just one of many cities across Gujarat to hold such kite-flying festivals. WVI hopes that the help we have been able to give will be shared with those tackling similar problems in the other kite-flying centres of Gujurat. We believe that by providing training and expertise, WVI is helping to fill a gap in avian veterinary expertise that currently exists across the Indian subcontinent.
Project Partners
WVI is particularly grateful to the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Fund for awarding us grants in 2013, 2014 and 2015. This project could not have gone ahead without their generous support.
We are also extremely grateful to the corporate supporters who have given us quality specialist equipment and made our presence on the ground more effective as a result:
White-tailed fish eagle fishing. Credit Christey White
Black vulture. Credit Fran Trabalon
2017 sees the start of WVI’s partnership with Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Centre in Bulgaria. The aim is to train local vets in the latest avian orthopaedic surgery techniques and post surgical care, in order to improve the success rate for rehabilitation of injured birds back into their former habitat. In addition, research will be carried out into categorising the severity of fractures, with a view to further increasing the survival rates and ultimate fitness levels of the birds.
The species which are set to benefit include the Endangered Egyptian vulture, the Endangered saker falcon and the Vulnerable imperial eagle.While WVI provides the veterinary training, the International Centre for Birds of Prey will be running complementary training in husbandry techniques and aviary design. While the training will be primarily for Green Balkans’ vets, local veterinary students will also have the opportunity to participate. In the longer term, we hope there might be the possibility for Bulgarian vets to receive training in the UK. The proportion of birds coming into the centre each year which are then returned to the wild gives an indication of success.
About 1000 rescued birds arrive annually, many of which are suffering from fractures. In 2014, 16% were subsequently released, while in 2015 the figure was 9% and in 2016 it was closer to 14%. These figures are very low but should increase significantly with improved surgical techniques and proper pre- and post-operative care. Those casualties which cannot be successfully returned to the wild will where possible become part of the captive breeding for reintroduction programme, and so will still contribute to wild species recovery.
White-tailed fish eagle fishing. Credit Christey White
The training will be delivered by bird of prey specialist, Tom Dutton, of Great Western Exotics . Great Western is a specialist avian practice which treats a high number of raptors in the UK. Green Balkans is the only wildlife rescue centre of its kind in Bulgaria and typically sees over 1000 patients a year. Elements of the training will include:
Advising on initial triage and first aid for raptor casualties.
Developing relevant Standard Operating Procedures.
Providing instruction on fracture management and on post-surgical care.
Grading of fractures on a scale of 1-3 depending on severity. This data will then be used to inform 2018 activities.
Black vulture. Credit Fran Trabalon
While WVI’s role is primarily a training one, we hope that the project may develop to incorporate some research, and are always ready to help with disease risk assessment should it become necessary.
WVI’s work in South Africa is focused on training local vets in advanced avian orthopaedic surgery, and enhancing their ability to provide first aid to birds suffering from poisoning, electrocution or collision. Although the project benefits all birds of prey, the particular focus is on vultures, which have seen a dramatic 98% decline in their numbers outside protected areas in the last thirty years. As a result, the African white backed vulture, the white headed vulture, the hooded vulture and Ruppell’s vulture are all now Critically Endangered. The Cape vulture, the lappet faced vulture and the Egyptian vulture are all Endangered.
Hooded vulture. Credit Gabriel Buissart
There is no doubt that birds of prey, and vultures in particular, are under great threat across southern Africa. An event like the tragic poisoning of over 500 vultures in neighbouring Botswana in June 2019 exemplifies the dangers facing these birds. Taking action to save these species is important not only for the birds themselves but because of the essential role they play in the food chain and the control of disease.
When animals are as threatened as many species of vulture, every individual matters and rehabilitating injured or sick birds can be an important conservation tool. For birds that cannot then be released back into the wild there is still the option of being part of a captive breeding programme which can play an important role in preventing extinction.
Cape vulture sunning itself by Peter Chadwick
Training local professionals
In 2017, specialist avian vet, Dr. Neil Forbes, and exotic animal veterinary nurse, Karen Homer-Forbes, ran training courses at three different locations in South Africa; Hartbeesportdam (close to Pretoria and where WVI Field Partner VULPRO is based), Pietermaritzburg (home of the African Bird of Prey Centre and close to Durban) and Capetown (on the premises of WVI Field Partner, the Tygerberg Animal Hospital). The courses were each two or three days long, and included Rehabilitation Theory and Practice, use of laser therapy to assist recovery from traumatic injury (with the assistance of laser therapy expert Jan Lloyd-Jones), and a day of wet lab work which meant a smaller number of delegates were able to practice repairing the six most common types of fracture found in raptors, under expert individual guidance. Overall, a total of 48 vets and 44 general rehabilitators were able to take part. Feedback from this first group of delegates was very positive, with the quality of teaching and value for money being rated as excellent.
Practical Clinical Help
While they were on hand, Dr. Forbes and Ms Homer-Forbes were able to look at and access Field Partner Vulpro’s captive birds, and give a second opinion where necessary.
Information and Advice
Following the training sessions, all those who had attended were given comprehensive notes, as well as remote access login details for on-going support from the veterinary team, which included access to video clips of all the procedures demonstrated during the workshops.
One particular issue that came to light during the training was the need for better guidance on the placing of patagial tags on the wings of birds to be released back into the wild. A high number of poorly placed tags were encountered during the workshops. As a result, Dr. Forbes subsequently co-authored a paper on the importance of understanding wing anatomy and the need for careful positioning of the tags, in order to reduce the number of tag-related injuries and even fatalities.
Research
Neil and Karen will be helping participants monitor and compare pre- and post- training recovery, release and breeding data, as part of assessing the impact of the improved techniques they have helped introduce and to support the continuing development of local vets and rehabilitators.
What next?
The first training courses were very popular and the team have been asked to return to South Africa not only to repeat the Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic training but to add Avian Medical Diagnostics and Endoscopy training to the programme. Requests for similar training have now been received from Bulgaria, Kenya, Botswana and Jordan, so WVI hopes to be supporting similar initiatives in the near future.
Cape vulture by Peter Chadwick
Why have vulture numbers seen such a catastrophic drop in recent decades?
The main threats to the vultures are the demand for their use in ‘black magic’, poisoning and urbanisation. Witch doctors believe that vulture brains have magical powers, and this accounts for 29% of vulture deaths. Meanwhile, increased supply of electricity to local homes has meant a huge expansion in overland electricity cables and the use of wind turbines, which are responsible for multiple injuries.
Most significant of all is the increase in both malicious and accidental poisoning in recent decades, with farmers often lacing carcasses with poison to target large predators, but attracting birds in the first instance, as well as poachers poisoning vultures in order to stop their scavenging activity from alerting anti-poaching patrols. Effective treatment and release of affected birds is a vital component in maintaining sustainable wild populations, and needs to happen alongside the creation of ‘vulture restaurants’ which provide a safe food supply, and the proper control of the supply of pesticides.
Why do vultures matter?
Vultures are an important part of the food chain. By scavenging on dead animals with remarkable efficiency (reputedly gulping down around a kilo of meat in 60 seconds) they keep insect populations under control and prevent the spread of disease – to other wild animals, livestock and people. When their numbers were devastated by the excessive use of the drug diclofenac in India, for example, the feral dog population expanded to fill the gap and there was an explosion in rabies cases. That’s why events like the June 2019 poisoning of over 500 vultures by poachers in Botswana really matter. WVI is committed to supporting the dedicated veterinary professionals determined to save these too often misunderstood birds.
WVI’s Raptor Rehabilitation programme is aimed at making sure the highest possible number of injured and poisoned birds not only survive treatment but can be successfully reintroduced to the wild, in order to stem dramatic drops in population numbers. When species numbers are low, every individual counts.
WVI has worked in India for a number of years, training local vets and providing essential first aid for the thousands of raptors injured by kite strings every year during the annual Kite-Flying Festival in the Gujarati city of Ahmadabad. Thanks to the growth in our experience and reputation in this area, we have now been able to expand our raptor rehabilitation work to help Endangered and Critically Endangered species in South Africa.
Raptors, or birds of prey, are persecuted throughout the world, both directly (mainly through hunting and poisoning of carcasses) and indirectly (through contact with kite strings, wind turbines, power cables and the drug diclofenac).
WVI believes that effective training of local staff and volunteers on the ground is essential in order to increase the survival rate of injured or poisoned birds of prey, and to ensure that they are sufficiently fit when they are released back into the wild. We provide training in pre- and post-surgical treatment of birds, as well as in the surgical techniques themselves.
This means, for example, helping develop appropriate Standard Operating Procedures which ensure that sub-cutaneous fluids are given when the (often severely dehydrated) birds, are first handled, or that birds are correctly tube fed following surgery.
Practical Clinical Help
When WVI vets are on the ground they are always ready to use their practical expertise to operate on and treat current casualties, demonstrating techniques to local professionals in the process. With raptors, this frequently means demonstrating the advanced treatment of fractures of both wings and limbs.
Disease Investigation
Although our raptor rehabilitation work is currently focused on first aid for trauma victims and appropriate clinical intervention, WVI considers disease investigation vital to increasing understanding of how population numbers can be recovered and safeguarded. Our vets are always on the look out for any signs of disease and ready to implement surveillance should it become necessary.
Information and Advice
Our veterinary specialists are always on hand to answer questions and provide information on an on-going basis to the projects with which they are involved, usually by remote electronic means once they have left the field.
Research
WVI believes on-going research is essential in order to further increase survival rates. In India, for example, vet nurse intern, Kiana McAbe, has been carrying out research into whether a simple initial blood test can be used to indicate a bird’s chances of survival in the short term. These results have the potential to determine which birds should receive the most intensive care in order to have the best chance of recovery and are expected to inform ongoing training of local staff in 2018.
Click on the flags to find out what we are doing to help birds of prey around the globe
Thousands of birds, including species like the Critically Endangered white-backed vulture, Endangered Egyptian vulture and Sarus crane, suffer terrible injuries during Uttarayan and the International Kite-Flying Festival in the Gujarati city of Ahmadabad, India.
Birds are caught up in the cutting string, which is covered with crushed glass, causing severed wings and broken legs. Each January since 2013, WVI has sent specialist avian vet, Johanna Storm, to help a local animal welfare organisation, the Jivdaya Charitable Trust, treat thousands of affected birds. While she is there Johanna is also able to give invaluable hands-on training to local Indian vets.
Please donate to help us train local vets, introduce best practice pre and post surgery protocols to ensure that birds injured by kite strings have a real chance of survival.
Severed wings are common as birds fly through crowds of kites, while others become hopelessly tangled when trying to roost or nest and end up hanging upside down, facing a slow and painful death.
Every January, the Indian state of Gujarat celebrates Uttarayan – the end of winter and the coming of spring – with displays of kite flying. The biggest event happens in the city of Ahmadabad. Here thousands take part in the spectacular International Kite-Flying Festival. Among the festivities, there are numerous kite-fighting events, where the objective is to bring down your opponent’s kite. For this, special string which has been coated with ground glass, or lethally tough but thin plastic string, is used. These fighter-kite lines are particularly dangerous for birds, thousands of which are killed or injured each year. Typically, birds flying through fields of kites are cut by the strings, which most often partially sever wings. Many die of shock following injury.
In addition, all kinds of kites and strings get entangled in trees and other places and cause problems for birds for months afterwards. The legs and wings of birds that roost, nest or simply fly past can become entangled, leaving animals hanging upside down and often facing a slow and miserable death.
Pigeons are the most commonly affected bird (with 1400 casualties in 2013), but owls, waterfowl, and, ironically, kites are also involved. Over 600 birds of prey have been recorded among the casualties, including the Critically Endangered white-backed vulture and the Endangered Egyptian vulture. The black kite is one of the most commonly injured birds of prey, while the Vulnerable Sarus crane is also known to be a victim.
Local animal welfare charity, the Jivdaya Charitable Trust (www.jivdaya.org), sets up rescue camps around the city and runs a makeshift surgery for injured birds during the festival but struggles to cope with the high numbers and severity of injuries. Indian vets have little training in avian medicine and none in non-domestic species. JCT invited WVI to help with the latter.
WVI sent out our specialist avian surgeon, Johanna Storm. She has provided surgical and post-operative expertise, training local vets in the process, since 2012. Although Johanna wasn’t able to be there herself for the 2016 clinic, WVI sent two veterinary nurses to help local staff.
The temporary clinic is very effectively run by the Jivdaya Charitable Trust. Birds are brought in by the public or by mobile ambulance from the rescue camps around the city. They are checked in and a sock is put over their head to calm them.
WVI introduced the giving of subcutaneous fluids at this point as the birds often arrive very dehydrated. Hydration starts the birds on to the road to recovery and enables them to cope with surgery much better.
The birds are put in labelled baskets, with their admission notes close by, and await surgery. Following treatment, they are wrapped in towels while recovering from anaesthesia, and then moved into small animal crates or special aviaries to recuperate. The aim is then to release them back into the wild.
Nevertheless, survival rates could be significantly improved further, particularly for birds of prey, and training of JCT staff and volunteers is vital to achieving this goal.
The challenge so far
Every year, thousands of birds are brought to the Jivdaya Charitable Trust’s makeshift surgical centre, which runs for several weeks in January, to coincide with the International Kite-Flying Festival. Typically, 1000 birds are seen in a week. Some mammals are also usually among the casualties.
During her visits, WVI vet, Johanna Storm, has been struck both by the number of birds requiring treatment and the severity of their injuries. At the same time, she has been enormously impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the staff and volunteers of the Jivdaya Charitable Trust.
However, Indian vets don’t tend to specialise in particular species, and there is little training in wildlife medicine. The result is that there are no local bird specialists available to perform surgery and treatment. Apart from the need for training in surgical techniques, better understanding of post-operative care and the development of more suitable facilities are now essential if the survival rate for birds in the future is to improve. (In 2012, the survival rate of non-pigeons treated by the centre was 71%, in 2015 it was 97%.)
This is particularly critical for birds of prey and the larger waterfowl, like pelicans, who have had successful surgery but need careful rehabilitation if they are to survive back in the wild.
What WVI is doing to help
In 2013, 2014 and 2015 we sent WVI vet and avian specialist, Johanna Storm, to help with the Jivdaya Charitable Trust’s temporary clinic during the Ahmadabad International Kite-Flying Festival. Each year Johanna shared her considerable surgical expertise and helped with post-operative care for the thousands of birds coming through the door of the clinic. Although Johanna wasn’t able to attend herself in 2016, WVI sent two veterinary nurses who were able to carry on her work.
WVI considers training and empowering local vets to be absolutely essential and we do this as an integral part of our visits. In 2014, for example, Johanna Storm helped with on-the-job training of around ten local vets during her time with the Jivdaya Charitable Trust. Other helpers also benefit from her expertise – in 2013 for instance these included 25 veterinary students, several human doctors and surgeons, and a further 50 non-medical volunteers.
WVI wants to see an improvement in the overall survival rates of birds brought into the clinic. We have a special interest in birds of prey and waterfowl, where the survival rate is not as high as it could be. The overall survival rate in 2012 was 66% and 71% in 2013. In 2013, 1005 birds of prey survived surgery.
At the moment, our particular focus is on looking at ways of helping the Jivdaya Charitable Trust improve post-operative care for the birds treated at the centre. Good post-operative care is key to getting birds fit and well enough to be released. One area we are presently concerned with is improving the aviaries into which the injured birds are released for rehabilitation.
What progress is being made
Over the last few years, WVI avian specialist, Johanna Storm, has not only helped with surgery and post-operative care for thousands of birds during her annual visits to the Jivdaya Charitable Trust’s temporary clinic, but in the process has given dozens of local vets and volunteers on-the-job training in relevant techniques.
Johanna has helped improve protocols and procedures for dealing with the birds, through triage, surgery, recovery and rehabilitation. She has advised on rehabilitation facilities, with a particular emphasis on how endangered species are treated, and has been able to transport and demonstrate essential equipment.
Johanna has also provided advice on nutrition. Many of the birds will not have eaten or drunk for a long time before being brought in. Their strength is very low and correct nutrition is vital to their recovery. Fresh meat isn’t an option locally for religious reasons, so Johanna has usually taken a few alternatives with her.
Two veterinary nurses sent out by WVI in 2016 were able to report back on considerable improvements in procedures thanks to Johanna’s previous work.
Ahmadabad is just one of many cities across Gujarat to hold such kite-flying festivals.
WVI hopes that the help we have been able to give will be shared with those tackling similar problems in the other kite-flying centres of Gujarat. We believe that by providing training and expertise, WVI is helping to fill a gap in avian veterinary expertise which currently exists across the Indian subcontinent.
Partners in the Field
WVI is extremely grateful to the corporate supporters who have given us quality specialist equipment and made our presence on the ground more effective as a result:
We are also extremely grateful to the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Fund for awarding us grants in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
WVI’s role
WVI’s over all aim is to improve the overall survival rates of birds that are brought in (overall 66% in 2012, 71% in 2013), and in particular the birds of prey which was improved to 1005 surviving surgery.
In January 2013 the following companies donated equipment:
In 2014, Johanna aims to improve the post operative care which is key to getting the birds as well and strong as possible before they are released.The birds will not have eaten or drunk for a long time before being brought. Their strength will be very low and nutrition is key during this phaseof recovery. Fresh meat is not available on site for religious reasons so Johanna has taken a few alternatives with her.
As well as improving protocols in dealing with these birds, on the job surgery and treatment training, WVI vet, Johnanna, will advise on how to improve Jivdaya Charitable Trust’s rehabilitation facilities for birds, particularly the more unusual (endangered) species.
Expert WVI contribution and ongoing support is the first step towards filling a gap in avian expertise across the Indian continent.
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