White-throated kingfisher rescued from rat glue trap

A Delhi-based wildlife body Saturday rescued a white-throated kingfisher caught in a rat glue trap in Delhi Cantt.

According to Wildlife SOS, a concerned passer-by spotted the kingfisher near a dumpster, inextricably stuck to a rat glue trap.

The wildlife body was contacted and a two-member team later rescued the bird and provided treatment.

It took over two hours to free the bird and safely removed the deadly glue from its beak and feathers, it said.

Glue trap devices consist of pieces of cardboard, fibreboard, or plastic, coated with a sticky adhesive designed to ensnare any small animal who wanders across or lands on its surface.

Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, It is heartening to see that more people are making a conscious decision to help out animals in distress. Glue traps are one of the cruellest ways of killing animals.

"They often rip patches of skin, fur, and feathers off the animals' bodies as they struggle to escape, and many animals even chew off their own limbs trying in the hopes of freeing themselves. Some even get their faces stuck in the glue and suffocate to death," he said.

The white-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smymensis) also known as the white-breasted kingfisher is the most commonly found species of kingfisher in the Indian subcontinent.

They are found in a variety of habitats, from urban landscapes to mangroves, wetlands, semi-deserts and forests. This species has diverse feeding habits and feeds primarily on worms, insects, fish, small reptiles, amphibians, rodents among others.