KARACHI: A female steppe eagle, which received a solar-powered satellite tracking device after being rehabilitated at a private conservation facility in Karachi last month, has reached Balochistan.
So far, the endangered species named ‘Saduri’ (lucky) has traveled more than 330 kms and reached a height of 460 feet.
In June this year, the wildlife department had rescued the bird along with its male partner ‘Sadoor’ by raiding a shop in Empress Market, where they were kept illegally in cages for months.
talking to dawnKamran Yousafzai, head of the Raptors Center for Conservation, said the Eagles were in poor condition when the team received them.
“They were injured and their wings were broken. So, we took good care of them as they needed to be 100 per cent fit to live in the wild, where their survival was directly dependent on their ability to hunt,” he said.
The Wildlife Department had rescued two eagles by raiding the Empress Market six months ago.
Wildlife officials collaborating with the center decided to attach satellite tracking devices in an effort to map the movement of the birds and obtain information about their resting places, speed, temperature, feeding, etc.
Equipment costing Rs 100,000 each was donated by the centre.
lost contact with male eagle
“We lost touch with both of them for a few days. Fortunately, it has recently resumed with the female, but there is no trace of the male yet,” Yousafzai said, adding that the loss of contact could be due to some technical issues.
According to Sindh Wildlife Conservation Officer Jawed Mahar, this is the first time that a tracking device has been attached to a confiscated animal.
“The Center is giving us the latest information about the birds. We lost contact with the male bird when it was flying at a height of 300 feet,” he said, hoping that contact would resume soon.
Sharing how the experience will help conservation efforts, the experts said that getting real-time information about the movement, behavior and habitat of birds is a unique experience that will help build local data about these winter visitors .
“They are three years old and ripe to breed. If they find a mate, they will seek out nesting sites and breed around June–July. In August–September, they will return to colder regions. ,” Yousafzai said.
When asked about the population of migratory species over the years, he said that it appears healthy but scientific studies are needed to have data on their populations and migration patterns.
A large bird of prey, the steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) is in many ways a peculiar species of eagle. They are the only eagles that nest mainly on the ground. Typically, one to three eggs are laid and in successful nests, one to two young eagles flee.
In Pakistan, these eagles have been recorded from low-lying areas of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab.
Wetlands have been reported as their preferred sites, possibly due to the abundant food supply (birds, rodents and reptiles) there.
Published in Dawn, December 18, 2021