The head and members of the bird monitoring and protection team of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society called on the relevant authorities in the country to establish a bird rehabilitation and treatment center, as birds sometimes suffer severe injuries that prevent them from continuing their normal lives.
Mohammed Shah, the team leader, explained that “when any member of the team sees an injured bird and tries to rescue it, there is no official headquarters to receive it. This has happened more than once, most recently last month, specifically on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, when Dr. Mohammed Al-Matrouk, while at the Jahra Nature Reserve, saw a large spotted eagle perched on the shore, unable to fly. The tide waters had begun to surround it, and it was trying to fly and get its body out of the water, but it could not.”.
Shah added, quoting Dr. Al-Matrouk: “The bird looked as if its leg was caught in a net or string, so I rushed to get it out before the tide swept it away. When I got it out, it turned out that the bird had no injuries, but it was clear that it was suffering from health problems such as poisoning or something else.” He continued: “After that, we took it to the reserve’s management to hand it over to them, but they refused to take it because there was no veterinarian or specialist to treat it. Then we took it to the zoo, but they also refused to take it in for fear of (bird flu). They suggested two options: the first was the Al-Abdaliyah Reserve belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company, and the second was the Scientific Center, because there is an agreement between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and the Environment Public Authority, according to which any bird that is sick is treated at the center. So we took it to the Scientific Center in the Salmiya area and handed it over to them.”.
He adds: “Hence the necessity and importance of establishing a bird rehabilitation and treatment center, affiliated with any relevant authority.” The bird monitoring and protection team extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to the scientific center for its efforts to treat and save the eagle.
