SINGAPORE: A huge Himalayan vulture caused a stir on the road and online over the weekend after it was spotted around East Coast Parkway (ECP) on Sunday (Jan 11).
One video posted on the Nature Society Singapore's Facebook page showed the large bird – known for eating the flesh of dead animals – on a grass patch by the roadside, flapping its wings to try to take flight.
Another video on TikTok showed it walking along the shoulder of the expressway.
Separately, birdwatchers reported seeing a Himalayan vulture along Tanah Merah Coast Road on Saturday. It is unclear whether it is the same bird.
In response to queries from CNA, chief executive officer Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan of the non-governmental organisation Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), said that it received a call about a distressed large bird, later identified as a Himalayan vulture, that was struggling after being stranded in a canal and along the ECP.
A rescue team led by three volunteers was deployed and safely rescued the male bird, Mr Kalai added. The vulture is now under the care of ACRES' veterinary team.
"Dehydration, overall weakness, and overall exhaustion from the long voyage seem to be the initial diagnosis," Mr Kalai told CNA.
"We are still assessing it and hope to fully rehabilitate the large bird for release in the near future."
The website of the Bird Society of Singapore states that Himalayan vultures are migratory and are usually spotted in this region between late December and early January.
Most Himalayan vulture sightings here have been recorded in the central and western parts of the island, with fewer sightings in the north and east.
Continue reading...
One video posted on the Nature Society Singapore's Facebook page showed the large bird – known for eating the flesh of dead animals – on a grass patch by the roadside, flapping its wings to try to take flight.
Another video on TikTok showed it walking along the shoulder of the expressway.
Separately, birdwatchers reported seeing a Himalayan vulture along Tanah Merah Coast Road on Saturday. It is unclear whether it is the same bird.
In response to queries from CNA, chief executive officer Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan of the non-governmental organisation Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), said that it received a call about a distressed large bird, later identified as a Himalayan vulture, that was struggling after being stranded in a canal and along the ECP.
A rescue team led by three volunteers was deployed and safely rescued the male bird, Mr Kalai added. The vulture is now under the care of ACRES' veterinary team.
"Dehydration, overall weakness, and overall exhaustion from the long voyage seem to be the initial diagnosis," Mr Kalai told CNA.
"We are still assessing it and hope to fully rehabilitate the large bird for release in the near future."
The website of the Bird Society of Singapore states that Himalayan vultures are migratory and are usually spotted in this region between late December and early January.
Most Himalayan vulture sightings here have been recorded in the central and western parts of the island, with fewer sightings in the north and east.
Continue reading...