Who Will Care For The Birds?

By late evening of last Saturday (10.08.2024), the risk of the flooding river that runs through Dechencholing had passed and I was back to my place of domicile, from the hill top to which I had evacuated myself and my family. Not all in the area was reassured though - they were still jittery and were moving out of the areas - just in case. Despite my assurance to all and sundry that whatever water was there had since been emptied and that there was no further risk, not many were convinced - some of them were temporally relocating themselves.

That is the tragedy of disasters - usually it is not the disaster that is unmanageable - it is most often the unfounded panic that is the cause of greater crisis. Some nervous people make irresponsible and ill-informed remarks that cause unnecessary panic among people.

Anyway, after a restful sleep, I woke up the next morning and the first thing I did was train my ears for the sound of the river that passes about 400 - 500 ft. away to the north of the building where I live. I was relieved to hear that there was nothing abnormal about the sound of the rush of the river …. I was relieved. But I heard a familiar bird call that I had never heard before – not in the areas where I live.

The call was distinctly that of the Crested Kingfisher. I know that the bird is resident in Thimphu and the surrounding areas …. But until now, I do not recall ever hearing the call - not in the two years that I have been resident in the areas.

Then it dawned on me – I believe that the flooding river would have destroyed the bird’s habitat and its usual feeding grounds. The flooding river’s muddy waters would have caused its fishing grounds to be devastated and bereft of food. Obviously, the bird is now out hunting for breakfast, and fresh fishing grounds.

It is a pity - there were a few thousand people and more than a dozen agencies frantically coming to the aid of the humans - the very beings that caused the calamity in the first place. Sadly, no one has a thought for the poor birds and the aquatic lives that would have suffered the most, in the aftermath of the tragedy.