Common Name: Black-crowned Night Heron
Species Name: Nycticorax nycticorax
Location: Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Date taken: 06.09. 2010
Equipments: Nikon D90 + Nikkor 70-300 AF VR Zoom
Special Remarks:
Making this post has shaken me deeply and made me ask myself a lot of uncomfortable questions.
However, to begin at the beginning, I need to say how I came across this chick. Every monsoon season,trees in my hospital campus are a buzz of activity with many heron species building their nests. Every year, it is a commonplace, though sad sight to see many dead heron and egret chicks fallen by the roadside, especially after heavy rains. Yesterday, I was faced with the same sight again, but this one was alive. As you can clearly see from the photographs, the chick looked injured, probably got attacked by ants. I felt really sorry for the little tyke.I considered rehabilitating it, but it was too young to even move about properly. Its nest was far high up beyond my reach and its parents seemed to have completely given up on it. Added to that, I could see that it wasnt even very comfortable with my proximity.
Now I found myself facing a dilemma as to what should I do? Should I leave it there, or should I take it to a vet? I dont know of any good veterinary hospital in Bilaspur, and I dont think any private vet would want be bothered. As for myself, I do not have the necessary setup in my house to care for it properly. But then, the other part of it hit me. This is a species of least concern , maybe what was happening was Nature's way of maintaining its balance. Was it right for me to interfere with Natures' Cycle? This is the eternal circle of life and death, and I find myself a very tiny speck in the entire picture!
After standing there debating with myself for half an hour, I finally decided to leave the chick to its fate with a heavy heart. The internal debate is still raging inside me, and the best thing I could think of was to share this intensely moving experience with my fellow birders. I am sure most of you must have come across similar situations some or the other time during your birding experiences. So I want to ask all of you, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS? WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF FACED WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION?
Regards,
Dr. Shrutidev Mishra,
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.
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