Kendrapada: A rare bird weighing more than 10 kilograms and with wingspan of more than two metres was found lying injured in a farmland in Odisha’s Kendrapada district on Sunday.
According to sources, the bird was spotted by a farmer of Angulai village under Marshaghai block of the district, when he visited his crop field in the morning.
The farmer, identified as Ranjan Mallick, initially tried to drive away the bird. But soon he realised that it was unable to move and was injured as well. He called other villagers and also contacted forest department staff, who monitored the injured bird.
Realising that the bird needed immediate medical attention, they took it to Marshaghai veterinary hospital, where it was treated with medicine.
During examination, it was found by veterinary doctors that the huge and rare bird weighed about 10 kilograms and had wingspan of about two metres, sources said.
Hundreds of people from the nearby villages gathered to have a glimpse of the rare winged-guest in their locality. Some even called it to be a ‘Garuda’ bird, reminding the mount of Hindu God Vishnu in the ‘Puranas’.
Forest department officials believed it to be rare vulture species. They stated the bird was stable and responding well to the treatment by veterinary staff. Once it is fully fit and able to fly, they would set the bird free in the nearby forests, they said.
