At least 36 of the large migratory birds were killed
Passenger plane caused the death dozens of flamingos on Monday night as they approached Mumbai, India's financial capital, where they landed safely, media and wildlife activists reported today.
At least 36 of the large migratory birds were killed, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper, but the toll could rise, as conservationists estimate.
“The community was littered with dead bird members.” , said BN Kumar, from the environmental organization NatConnect Foundation, to the Times of India newspaper. “Broken wings, beaks and legs were scattered over a large area,” he added.
According to Pawan Sharma of the Mumbai-based wildlife group Resqink (RAWW), his organization received several calls last night about dead flamingos falling from the sky.
< strong>Measures needed
“It is the first time that such a large number of flamingos have been hit like this,” Sharma told AFP, saying it was unusual for this to happen in a single incident.
Mumbai airport recorded more than 600 aircraft-bird strikes between January 2018 and October 2023, according to government statistics.
The wetlands located at along the coast of Mumbai are home to large numbers of pink flamingos from December and for a few months.
“Epidemic and migratory birds are threatened by flights crossing such important habitats,” said Sharma, “so it is important to evaluate this incident and work on mitigation measures in order to avoid such incidents”.
source: APE-MPE
