"Breaking The Fall - Conserving Openbill Storks In Arrearjhar, Assam"

As the monsoon ends, the few hundred Openbill stork nests on the canopy of the sal trees of Arrearjhar area near Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam come alive with new hatchlings. However, the change in the rain pattern and extremities of weather recorded last year deceived the birds into laying their eggs at a wrong time resulting in the hatchlings emerging under unfavourable conditions, drastically increasing their mortality.

Following a heavy downpour on October 7 last year, more than 50 dead chicks and some damaged eggs were reported. The predominant reason for the death of chicks was the fall and the resultant trauma. Lack of care for the injured chicks, predation by stray dogs and opportunistic hunting were other reasons. Listed under schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), Openbill storks are commonly found in Assam but this incident of mass mortality threatened the local population of Arrearjhar, prompting the forest department and the local villagers to undertake urgent steps for its protection. To prevent any further incidence of mortality of the chicks due to the fall, immediate intervention was required.

Sonali Ghosh, DFO Social Forestry and Wildlife Division, Kokrajhar, proposed a Rapid Action Project (RAP) to the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), which was immediately approved because of its urgency. Two chicks Lone and Don (as named by the local villagers) were thus rescued and later rehabilitated under this RAP.

The RAP aimed at a holistic approach towards the protection of the Openbill stork population. Twelve safety nets were placed in two layers below 21 nesting trees to catch the falling birds. Lone and Don were rescued by these nets on 22 and 18 October respectively. A rearing centre was constructed out of local materials like bamboo and mats to harbour them until they were ready for release. A water trough with small quantities of live fish placed at regular intervals permitted the birds to independently and instinctively hunt for food. Regular monitoring was conducted by bird experts to keep a track on the progress of the birds’ efforts to fly.

Conservation awareness programmes to sensitise the local villagers on related issues were also organised. Their attention was also drawn by their direct or indirect participation in the rehabilitation by way of providing local material for the preparation of nets and the construction of the rescue centre.

The project was implemented by Arrearjhar Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) with technical support from Dr Hiloljyoti Singha, who had conducted a similar rehabilitation programme on greater adjutant storks in Nagaon district in Assam. Before the soft release of the birds began on December 9 at Dheer Beel, a foraging ground for open bill storks, Dr Singha, assisted by Dr Prabhat Basumatary of WTI ringed the birds for later identification and post-release monitoring.

Lone and Don during the release made unsuccessful attempts to fly long-distance, and so, had to be returned to the rearing centre, even as the wild birds approached them, as if to welcome them. Back in the centre, their roof covering was removed. For sometime after that, they continued to socialise with the wild population during the day while returning to the security of the centre at night before giving in to their inherent wild instincts and returning to the wild permanently.

Conservationists believe that unless absolutely required, conservation experiments should be carried out on species of lesser conservation value before being tried on the endangered species. Regardless, the proven effectiveness of this low-cost method to provide emergency relief will continue to make its impact in securing the Openbill stork population of Arrearjhar, as the team of well-prepared implementers stay in wait confidently for the next nesting season.