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Zoo Hornbills give city lesson in love: The Pioneer
New Delhi, Jun 03: In a show of unparalleled love and devotion, an inhabitant of the National Zoological Park has been showering his ailing mate with tender loving care.
New Delhi, Jun 03: In a show of unparalleled love and devotion, an inhabitant of the National Zoological Park has been showering his ailing mate with tender loving care.
Ever since the 30-year-old female Great Indian Hornbill fell ill due to the intense cold wave that hit the Capital last winter, her 25-year-old mate has been taking care of her. He feeds her, as she can't eat on her own and entertains her, when she gets bored.
"We have never seen anything like this in the history of the zoo. The male doesn't eat anything before feeding his partner. Never before have we witnessed such togetherness and a sense of belonging in birds, it is inexplicable. This just goes to show that even birds can be compassionate," said Mr B S Bonal who is the Zoo Director. The female spends most of her time, sitting in the hole of a tree trunk. She doesn't fly much as she is weak. She was under treatment at the zoo hospital for over a month.
"For the first few days after the female was taken to the hospital, the male did not eat. Every day I used to remove bananas and eggs from the hole in their favourite perch," Bhai Lal, the bird keeper, said.
The two birds, with their horn-shaped yellow and black bill with the concave casque, are among the oldest inhabitants of the zoo and have been mates for years. These birds are mostly found in the North-East and are omnivorous. Of late, there has been a marked change in the female's diet. "Earlier she used to eat almost everything offered to her, including eggs. Now she shows more interest in bananas. As a result, the male feeds her the bananas first and eats the leftovers," Bhai Lal said. Bhai Lal feeds the two birds 20 bananas, three eggs and papaya every day.
However, despite all the love and devotion the two show towards each other, the Zoo authorities are disappointed about the fact that the two birds have not been able to breed.
"Notwithstanding our best efforts, we could not get them to breed. It's really very sad," Mr Bonal said.
The zoo authorities claim that the two birds were provided with a large enclosure and all other facilities were provided in order to create a conducive environment for breeding. "At one point of time, the female appeared to be in the process of laying eggs, however, nothing of the sort happened," he said.
Before laying eggs, the female sits in the hollow of a tree trunk. Then the two birds together seal the cavity, leaving a slit just wide enough for the tip of the female's bill to come out. "They were shifted to a larger enclosure with all possible facilities for breeding, but in vain," Mr Bonal added.
"We have never seen anything like this in the history of the zoo. The male doesn't eat anything before feeding his partner. Never before have we witnessed such togetherness and a sense of belonging in birds, it is inexplicable. This just goes to show that even birds can be compassionate," said Mr B S Bonal who is the Zoo Director. The female spends most of her time, sitting in the hole of a tree trunk. She doesn't fly much as she is weak. She was under treatment at the zoo hospital for over a month.
"For the first few days after the female was taken to the hospital, the male did not eat. Every day I used to remove bananas and eggs from the hole in their favourite perch," Bhai Lal, the bird keeper, said.
The two birds, with their horn-shaped yellow and black bill with the concave casque, are among the oldest inhabitants of the zoo and have been mates for years. These birds are mostly found in the North-East and are omnivorous. Of late, there has been a marked change in the female's diet. "Earlier she used to eat almost everything offered to her, including eggs. Now she shows more interest in bananas. As a result, the male feeds her the bananas first and eats the leftovers," Bhai Lal said. Bhai Lal feeds the two birds 20 bananas, three eggs and papaya every day.
However, despite all the love and devotion the two show towards each other, the Zoo authorities are disappointed about the fact that the two birds have not been able to breed.
"Notwithstanding our best efforts, we could not get them to breed. It's really very sad," Mr Bonal said.
The zoo authorities claim that the two birds were provided with a large enclosure and all other facilities were provided in order to create a conducive environment for breeding. "At one point of time, the female appeared to be in the process of laying eggs, however, nothing of the sort happened," he said.
Before laying eggs, the female sits in the hollow of a tree trunk. Then the two birds together seal the cavity, leaving a slit just wide enough for the tip of the female's bill to come out. "They were shifted to a larger enclosure with all possible facilities for breeding, but in vain," Mr Bonal added.