Besikalung: wildlife

One of the many birds we have released at the Besikalung Wildlife Sanctuary is a Crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela). The bird had been rehabilitated during a 21-month stay at our nearby rescue center in Tabanan.

The eagle was in bad condition when it was brought to us by a foreigner who had purchased it from a poacher. “Its primary wings were cut and some of its feathers were broken,” said our vet, Dr Rini. “It took a year for the wings to be fully healed and another several months before it could fly.”

Dr Rini said the healing process was the hardest part of the bird’s rehabilitation. Training it to fly again was more straightforward: “It grew up in the wild, so it still remembers how to hunt and survive in the wild.”

Before its release, the eagle had to undergo a series of religious ceremonies to be accepted as a new citizen of the Besikalung Temple, which sits within the sanctuary.

The release was a small event, but full of meaning. It included a ceremony and blessing by a local priest.

When its cage was opened the eagle flew straight toward a nearby forest. The temple was chosen as the release site because it is one of the most important and oldest temples in Bali and the forest around it is well preserved.

We have been working with the locals for many years to create a wildlife sanctuary in this area. The community has introduced a set of traditional laws making it illegal to hunt or poach wildlife within the sanctuary. That means birds like this crested serpent eagle are safe and can thrive.

The release was attended by representatives of the Nature Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Bali Zoo, and the local community.

Thanks to BKSDA who helped us secure a release permit, and to the Bali Zoo who released 10 Malayan porcupines (Hystrix brachyura) at the same time. Thanks also to the local community for their support and to the Humane Society International Australia, one of our major donors. And finally, thank you to our many volunteers who help at all our project sites.