A rare migratory bird flew 6,948 kilometres from Finland to land in Kenya. The bird, known as Osprey, landed in West Imbo in Bondo, Siaya County. It was spotted by members of the local community, rescued by Mr Walter Oloo, and reported to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
The bird had bruises on its legs, seemingly from being caught in a fishing net and struggling to free itself. Despite losing some weight and being dehydrated, it was healthy. It was delivered to the KWS Veterinary department on January 23, 2020, where it was stabilised with IV fluids and provided with a proper diet with plans of being released into the wild.
Osprey’s identifying details (Museum Zool, Helsinki Finland, M-68528) were found on a ring on its leg. It was a four-year-old male and weighed 950 grams. Additionally, it was a fish-eating bird and was expected to head back northwards in early March.
Despite all the best efforts by KWS, Osprey died during the weekend due to problems associated with long-term starvation which precipitated systemic organ failure.
