The owlet, was found in Rangajan, a village near Kaziranga National Park. The villagers, who knew of Manoj, owing to his extensive wildlife rescue and awareness work in and around Kaziranga National Park, handed the owlet over to him on March 13, 2018.
As the owlet was only a few days old, it could not be identified immediately. At Manoj's rescue centre in Dumjaan, the bird was kept on a diet of small fishes and pieces of meat. Over the next 35 days of close monitoring and intensive care, the owlet was soon identified as a juvenile Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis. Though the population of the Brown Fish Owl is facing a slow decline, the IUCN Red List places the species under the least concern category. The Brown Fish Owl is often poached from Assam, to feed a growing demand in the North, particularly during the time of Diwali, when the bird is sacrificed in barbaric age-old superstition.
In such crucial times, efforts by rescuers and grassroots conservationists such as Manoj Gogoi become pivotal. While Manoj's team prepares for the owlet's release into its natural habitat, the fate of the species rests heavy.
Manoj Gogoi is a part of The Sanctuary Nature Foundation's flagship Mud on Boots Project launched in January 2017. The programme aims to enable and empower grassroots conservationists across India, regardless of their academic qualifications or affiliations. To support this initiative, please email cara@sanctuaryasia.com
