Storm kills 23 Asian openbill storks in Digboi; six rescued, treated at sanctuary

Digboi, Sept 28: At least 23 Asian openbill storks were found dead and six others injured in Ramnagar residential areas of Digboi in Tinsukia district, after a severe storm struck late Friday night. Local residents discovered the carcasses early Saturday morning and alerted the authorities.

Forest department personnel rushed to the site soon after receiving the report. Preliminary observations indicate that the storm, accompanied by heavy rainfall, uprooted several trees on which the storks had been roosting.

Many of the birds fell into waterlogged areas and were unable to recover, leading to their deaths.

According to the Digboi Forest Division, the six injured storks are under treatment at Karhaguri near the Soraipung Bird Sanctuary in the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest West Block, where they are receiving departmental care.

“The deceased birds were cremated with due process to prevent the spread of infections among other wildlife,” the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Digboi informed.

The Asian openbill (Anastomus oscitans), a medium-sized wading bird of the stork family (Ciconiidae), is native to South and Southeast Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

These storks thrive in wetlands, marshes, paddy fields, and shallow water bodies, feeding mainly on aquatic snails, mollusks, frogs, and small fish. Their distinctive open-tipped bill is specially adapted for extracting such prey.

Officials have appealed to residents to stay alert during extreme weather and promptly report similar incidents, stressing the need for vigilance to safeguard wildlife in human-inhabited areas.