Rare owl rescued from Taj Mahal

A rare dusky eagle owl fledgling at Taj Mahal here has been rescued by the wildlife officials.

The owl, rescued on Friday, was sent to the Wildlife Hospital of Wildlife SOS in Agra. The bird would be released back into its natural habitat once it recovers, officials said on Saturday.

Efforts are on to locate its nest and place the fledgling back there to reunite it with its family. The bird was spotted surrounded by a group of monkeys and it was trying to escape getting injured when the CISF security personnel saw it.

Wildlife SOS senior veterinarian S. Ilayaraja said: "The owl is a fledgling and appears to have fallen out of its nest. The bird is currently under shock from the fall and it will be under observation here until we find it fit for release."

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS said: "It is great news indeed to know that the Taj Mahal is also home to such rare species of birds such as Dusky eagle owls. Bird watchers in India consider themselves lucky to spot this bird.

The bird is protected under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.