Veterinarians and animal rescue workers reported that rescuers in the western Indian state of Gujarat are picking up dozens of birds suffering from stress and dehydration that fall daily from the sky due to a severe heat wave that has dried up water sources in Ahmedabad, the state's largest city. Drought has been hitting vast areas of South Asia during the hottest month before summer in recent years, prompting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to warn of increased fire risks.
Doctors at an animal hospital run by the non-profit "Jeevdaya Charitable Trust" in Ahmedabad stated that they have treated thousands of birds in the past few weeks, adding that rescuers bring in dozens of high-flying species, such as pigeons, each day. Manoj Bhavsar, who has been rescuing birds for over a decade with the trust, said, "This year has been one of the worst in recent history. We have seen a 10 percent increase in the number of birds needing rescue."
In an effort to save the birds, veterinarians have resorted to giving them multivitamin tablets while using syringes to pump water into their beaks. Health officials in Gujarat have issued guidelines for hospitals to set up special wards for treatment of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.
