A rare Oriental honey buzzard rescued in Paikgachha is under treatment before release, highlighting growing threats to native bird species in the Sundarbans region from rising salinity.
A sick Oriental honey buzzard, a rare bird of prey, has been rescued in Paikgachha of Khulna and is now under treatment before being released into the wild, locals and officials said.
The bird was found around noon on Friday, April 17, in a garden beside the home of schoolteacher Shahiduzzaman in Hitampur village. Local children were seen playing with the weakened raptor when Shahiduzzaman intervened and rescued it.
After learning of the incident, Prakash Ghosh Bidhan, president of environmental group Bonbibi as well as a journalist and columnist, took responsibility for helping nurse the bird back to health.
Witnesses said the bird was in very poor condition when rescued and was unable to fly.
It is now being treated under the supervision of upazila livestock officer Dr Parthapratim Ray. The bird is being kept in a room at the Boalia Seed Production Farm in Paikgachha, where it is being given medicine and fed fish.
Parthapratim Ray said the bird would be released into the forest once it had recovered.
Locals identified the bird as an Oriental honey buzzard, a medium-sized raptor known for feeding on honeycombs and raiding beehives.
Environmental activists said several native bird species have disappeared from Koyra and Paikgachha, two upazilas near the Sundarbans, due to rising salinity. They said the remaining species struggling to survive in the changing environment must be protected.
