Friday, July 17, 2009 . Page 2

Over 1,000 flamingoes visit Bhandup

Friday, July 17, 2009

Flamingoes are tall, delightful migratory birds which come to our city from the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat somewhere in the month of October and remain here till July.

They can be spotted near the Water Filtration Plant in Bhandup.In the words of S Subramanian from PAWS (Plant and Animals Welfare Society) Mumbai, a Bhandup based animal welfare organisation, "Flamingoes can be spotted in areas like Sewri and Thane creek but few know about the mangroves off Kanjurmarg which attract the flamingoes.

This is because the place is not easily accessible. As the area is a private property, not many visitors come here to disturb the birds."

Adding further he stated, "The pink colour in their plumage is due to 'Beta Carotne' rich food which they consume in the form of blue green algae and shrimps. In zoos, the flamingo food is often mixed with carrots. As the breeding season approaches, adult flamingoes are adorned with rich pink colour all over the body with wings and legs getting almost scarlet.”

Describing the sight of the birds leaving, he said, “Before leaving the shores of Mumbai, they perform a spectacular display by marching together which resembles flames rising from water. We can call it the 'flame dance'. It is an amazing experience to watch birds, twisting and turning their necks or opening their wings in between."

The spectacular 'flame dance' was witnessed by our lensman, thus signalling the flight of these birds from our city to their breeding grounds in a short time.

Snakes are making themselves at home in the rain

Friday, July 17, 2009 . Times City . Page 7

Mumbai: With the rains hitting the city in earnest, it isn’t just Mumbaikars who fear water entering their homes. Reptilian residents too have an aversion to living in waterlogged homes. No wonder then that a Lokhandwala resident found an eight-ft-long python curled up in his home on Wednesday night.

The monsoon is typically the time when animal welfare societies receive the maximum calls from residents who’ve spotted a snake in their home. During the four months of the monsoon alone, professional snake-catchers claim they get calls to rescue between 400 and 450 snakes.

“Trying to find a safe place when their holes fill with water, snakes often enter homes and industrial estates. Last year, we rescued a 12-ft python which had entered an oil tanker. During the monsoon especially, our inspectors receive many such calls,’’ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals secretary J C Khanna said.

According to professional snake-catchers, as snakes often live in sewers and nullahs, they enter homes through the toilet or bathroom when the nullahs overflow. The high tide also floods mangrove areas near the city. Venomous snakes like the spectacled cobra and Russell’s vipers which inhabit the mangroves, come out in large numbers.

Animal lover and professional snake-catcher Anil Kubal said, “This monsoon I’ve already rescued 112 snakes. A lot of the snakes we rescue are baby snakes as the monsoon is the birthing season for Russell’s vipers.’’

While venomous snakes like the cobra and viper have been known to enter residential areas, the snakes most commonly rescued by animal welfare societies are the nonvenomous rat snake and sand boa. Just last week, a rat snake was found on the premises of a college in Thane. “The snake entered the first floor of the college through an air-conditioning duct. We were obviously scared when we saw it. But once the snake catcher trapped it, he explained that rat snakes aren’t venomous. He also held out the snake for us to touch, but none of us took him up on the offer,’’ said Sachin Karavle, a college staffer.

On a positive note, animal lovers add that while earlier the tendency of residents was to kill snakes, there is more awareness now. “The number of snakes that were killed was quite high earlier but it’s almost nil now. Residents call us if they spot a snake and we immediately rescue it. The snakes are then released into the wild—either at Sanjay Gandhi National Park or Yeoor and Vikhroli,’’ said Sunish Subramanian of the Plant and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) Mumbai.