Commotion prevailed at the Telangana State Secretariat for a few hours on Tuesday afternoon when a stray eagle was spotted, entangled in a ‘manja’ or kite thread. The eagle was eventually rescued and set free by the Fire Department personnel before Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s arrival, much to the relief of the security officials.
Exact time when the bird got stuck was not known, as it was noticed even by the early visitors to the Secretariat. Fire personnel were summoned as soon as the avian visitor’s predicament came to the notice of the Protocol Department.
A fire engine arrived soon, but remained ineffective, as the rescue personnel could not make the horizontal distance.
A crane with aerial work platform was sent for, but it too failed to reach the precise spot, as the platform lacked manoeuvrability, onlookers said. A second, and more advanced crane could place the rescue men within the hand’s reach and the bird was eventually disentangled.
With one of its wings damaged at the edges, the raptor failed to take off immediately, but managed to fly soon and perched on a tree. No animal rescue team was, however, called to offer first aid.
Fire personnel said that this was their second incident involving an eagle in the city, the first one having taken place at Narayanguda recently.
