An animal hospital in the western city of Ahmedabad has treated approximately 2,000 birds over the past month, many weak and seriously dehydrated, with some experiencing broken wings after they fell from trees.
A Phys.org report specified that an early start to summer has "brought record temperatures" and made life a mystery for humans and animals alike, with experts cautioning that climate change is making such conditions more intense, not to mention more often.
According to Jivdaya Charitable Trust co-founder Gira Shah, they receive at least 50 to 60 dehydrated birds every day.
Shah added the temperatures have risen to 46 degrees Celsius. The said bird hospital is one of the largest in India and was established by an ancient Indian religion known as the Jain faith that "preaches non-violence and love for all creatures, both large and small.
Due to Severe Heat
The severe heat has coincided with the end of the breeding season for some species of birds, leading to large numbers of chicks and fledglings undergoing treatment in the facility.
A regular stream of members of the public and volunteer rescuers bring the birds in cardboard baskets and boxes every day, where they are logged, tagged, weighed, and examined by a vegetarian.
According to AFP via Yahoo! News, the birds undergo treatment, although roughly one in four do not survive because of the severity of their dehydration or from the resulting intricacies.
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Species that recover are kept in an aviary until they are ready for release back into the world. On the other hand, others that have been too seriously disabled by their injuries are brought to zoos or educational institutions.
An Alarming Issue
Nidhi Sharma, a veterinarian, had already treated a parakeet and a babbler chick before the fledgling kite rescheduled from the road was sent to her for examination.
The 20-year-old vet said the creature was severely dehydrated as she inoculated it with replenishing fluids.
The rescuers believe that the kite, weakened by the extreme heat, fell to the ground from its nest in a tree almost 50 feet above.
Sherwin Everett, a hospital curator who has worked at Jivdaya since 2010, "compassionate life" in the local Gujarati language.
Heatwaves
He said that the heatwave had been one of the worst for local birds he had ever seen. Heatwaves have claimed the lives of over 6,500 individuals in India since 2010. However, Shah and Everette are calling on the public to be considerate of the welfare of any wildlife they encounter everywhere.
Describing the issue, Everett said they are expecting until July to have heatwaves, and the temperature will worsen.
He also said that they have received "quite a lot of birds that have been dehydrated right now." However, the upcoming months appear to be pretty alarming for them, a similar News.com.au report said.
Related information about birds getting dehydrated due to scorching heat is shown on Haryana Ahead's YouTube video below:
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