2 rare albino crows die at Bondla

BICHOLIM, MAY 7
It should have been their sanctuary, but the Bondla wildlife sanctuary turned out to be their graveyard.
Two rare albino crows died in the wildlife sanctuary barely days after they were rescued from Ibrampur-Pernem and handed over to the sanctuary.
The incident, which has shocked wildlife activists, was reportedly kept under wraps at the Bondla wildlife sanctuary for a number of days, until confirmation finally came through that the two rare birds had died.
Herald investigations have revealed that the two albino crows, handed over to the Bondla wildlife sanctuary by residents of Ibrampur Pernem, died within few days after they were taken to the sanctuary.
The incident was kept secret almost for a month and visitors who were eager to catch a glance of this rare species were told that they were left in the jungle.
It may be recalled that both albino crows were found at Ibrampur last month. The first one was found on April 10 near the house of one Mhaso Vishnu Gawas. Other crows were trying to kill the albino crow, when Gawas informed an animal activist, Narayan Kalangutkar, who had rescued the bird.
Barely four days later, another albino crow was rescued from the same village. This time it was spotted by Sunil Kubal. Both crows were then sent to the Bondla wildlife sanctuary, so that they could be protected while under observation.
On receiving information that the two albino crows had die, this correspondent rushed to Bondla on Friday to verify the reports.
The RFO and other officials had gone for a meeting at Panjim and when some workers at Bondla zoo were contacted, most of them said the two birds were released in the forest after initial treatment.
Some of them tried to evade queries on the issue and said they are unaware about the whereabouts of the two albino birds.
Later, a few workers had the courage to disclose the truth and confirmed that the albino crows had died just few days after they were brought to the zoo.
“We were never given a chance to see them as they were always kept inside and were undergoing some treatment,” said a worker on condition of anonymity.
“We heard that they stopped eating after they were brought to the zoo and one of them was also injured. The doctor always came to check them, but the crows did not survive,” the worker added.
As there was no formal confirmation about the incident, attempts were made to contact the RFO Paresh Porob, but he did not answer the call.
Assistant Forest Officer and the Bondla Zoo Manager, Pradeep Verekar, however, confirmed the news on phone.
“The incident is true and they are dead,” said Verekar.
When asked for the reason behind the deaths, Verekar claimed he did not have the report with him and that it was in the office.
“Right now, the report is not with me. You can come to the office and see the entire report on Monday, to know the exact reason behind the incident,” Verekar added.
Animal Rescue Squad Chief Amrut Singh expressed surprise and regret over the incident. “They were rare species and we may not find a similar crow,” said Singh.
Albino crows have red eyes and are unable to see when they come in contact with sunlight. The crows need special care and attention, as they have to be kept in the dark.
According to experts, albino crows get their white colour because of some genetic changes, following a lack of melanin content that robs them of its black pigmentation.