Do you ever think about how a sky full of wonderfully extravagant kites can become a death trap for innocent birds?
Every year, nearly 1,000 birds in the city of Mumbai alone are left wingless and wounded during the kite flying festival of Makar Sankranti. In 2018, Gujarat reported rescuing 4,000 injured birds during the same festival. The use of manjhas, which are synthetic kite strings coated in metal or glass, can be fatal to birds flying in the sky.
Brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad Saud from Delhi encountered this alarming trend for the first time in the 90s, when they rescued a black kite that was found injured by the wayside.
Their quest to save one helpless and wounded bird set the duo on a path of rescuing 23,000 more through their NGO Wildlife Rescue, which has been working over the last 20 years. Nursing these birds back to health and watching them fly once again is what makes their hearts soar.
Watch how the duo does it all from a makeshift clinic in their home:
(Edited by Divya Sethu)
If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.
Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-
By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let's ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.
Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?