The State Bird ‘Maina’ are reportedly suffering from dehydration and worming these days.
The mammoth sized cage, specially built for these small endangered birds, kept on the forest school premises, situated in the city on Geedam road has been a permanent home for Nandi Maina and three others — Pihu, Paakhi and Arya —brought in one and half years back.
All the four birds, being nurtured in the breading centre set up in the forest school, are undergoing de-worming process to save their lives. Precautionary measures are also being taken to save the birds from approaching summer and drops of electrol solution are administered to them.
Since Mainas are very few in number, the State Government has taken up many steps to save this little precarious bird species.
Caretaker Hemant said that thrice in a day these birds are given Electrol solution. Since they survive on various types of insects, their intestinal track often become full of worms sometimes even to the extent of being fatal. They are provided grapes and bananas also. Birds are being taken care of by veterinary Dr Samir Sharma and Dr Mousam Mehra, both of them regularly visit the breading centre.
According to Dr Mousam Mehra their food are consumed by worm so de-worming process is done twice in a month to keep them safe from worm hazards. Two types of wormicides are given to them.
Breading centre for Maina is set up here two decades back on the Forest School premises and at the inception six selected birds were kept in it under strict supervision of doctors and caretakers but because of some strange reason they could not survive.
The dream of adding new ones remained a dream only since then. New birds from the jungle were brought in intermittently but all efforts could not bore fruits even and went void. Total two caretakers and two doctors appointed over here and they keep constant vigil on them.