CHENNAI : Electral may not be for human beings alone this summer. With mercury levels clocking well over 40 degrees centigrade this time, even Chennai’s birds require a boost of hydration every now and then. And sometimes, just a bowl of water may not be sufficient. Last week a dehydrated albino crow that was rescued by the Blue Cross of India recuperated on generous sips of electral and some boiled egg at their shelter in Velachery. Dawn Williams, General Manager recalls, “We got a call about a bird that had fallen out of treetop in Adyar after being attacked.” Blue Cross officials rushed to the spot only to find the bird a little dehydrated and stunned from the fall.In fact with such a rare occurence of albino animals, Williams recalled, for a while, it just seemed like a strange white bird. “It was only when we heard the bird caw that you could make out it was an albino crow,” he said. This is possibly the reason why it was separated from the herd. The white feathers and the pink eyes of the crow indicated that it suffered from a genetic disorder that upsets pigment level, said a wildlife expert. Given their stark colour difference from black crows, it came as no surprise when veterinarian Priyadarshini Govind said, “Albino crows do not do well in the wild as they aren’t accepted by the other crows.” Just like this crow, there are several other birds that are ‘city dwellers’ that cannot enjoy the joys of air conditioning in the afternoon.Animals lovers can only sympathise with the unfortunate social status of this particular baby albino and hope that it will be happy in its new home. “The bird is now safely in Vandalur Zoo,” said S David Raj, forest range officer, state Forest Department. The bird was handed over to zoo officials on Wednesday, he said. “Eight years ago, Vandalur zoo got a white crow rescued by residents of Tambaram and this crow is the second one,” said sources in the forest department. White or black, dehydration is a problem that is hitting more and more birds in the city, rue animal lovers, but not enough for the city to notice them. For the rest of our city’s winged population, spare a thought for the birds and leave a single bowl of water on your balcony or terrace. For all you know, you may just save a little birdie from a heatstroke.
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