Navi Mumbai: Six days after a flamingo was killed by a speeding vehicle, five more Flamingos were found dead in the premises of DPS lake in Seawood on Thursday. On April 19, one flamingo was killed by a speeding taxi on the palm beach road near the DPS lake while another one was found dead few meter away on the road side and on Thursday, two were found dead in the lake and three others were found dead outside the lake. “Only a post mortem report can confirm the reason behind the death. It could be an injury which happened in water, during the flight or even exertion which only post mortem can identify,” Dr Rahul Khot, deputy director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said. A morning walker who noticed the flamingos lying dead is the one who alerted the agencies about the incident.
“Lack of water in the DPS lake is one of the main reasons that causes exertion in the flamingoes. Of the two who died last week, one died in a road accident and the post mortem report of the second one points at injuries on the bird’s leg and beak. The possibility of the injury is a collision with something either in water or while flying. The report mentions that it is not the case of any stone pelting on them by humans,” Range Forest Officer Sudhir MAnjre said.
“There were a total of 12 flamingoes found at the site. While five dies, six others have been rescued and are currently at our center and are being treated. The six of them were found at the lake side. The five of the them who died has been sent to the veterinary college in Parel for post mortem,” a spokes person from Wild Welfare Association (WWA) said. The Forest Department is now planning to test the water of the DPS lake which is the habitat of these birds. “DPS Flamingo Lake, an intertidal wetland, remains dry as the water inlets have been blocked. One on the southern end of the lake under the road to the Nerul jetty has been buried in the road and this channel must be reopened,” BN Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation, said.
Another environmentalist Jyoti Nadkarni points out that the cases of death in Flamingo is being reported only from Navi Mumbai and it is a serious issue which needs to be looked into by the authorities.
