The rescued white-tailed eagle. A Telegraph picture

May 11: A family of white-tailed sea eagle has made Gauhati University its “permanent home” bringing cheers to environmentalists who have left no stone unturned to make this rare species feel at home away from home.

The bird family, which was discovered about a month back, was thought to have left after its nest was destroyed in a storm.

But the family had actually built a new nest on another tree inside the university campus.

“It is a rare phenomenon. We are surprised as to how a pair of sea eagles, which are generally found near the sea, are raising a family here,” said Sangeeta Goswami, chairperson of People for Animals (Assam chapter).

The family of sea eagle, the pair and three chicks, was first discovered when the chicks fell from their nest on a tall tree inside the university campus during a storm a month back.

Goswami and other members of the NGO had rushed to the place and rescued the three chicks, which had fallen in a ditch.

Two of the chicks recovered moments after being rescued and were released. Goswami had brought the other chick home and after treatment released it near the nesting site.

“We saw both the parents helping the chicks fly away and thought they had left. However, it was discovered a few days back that the family had actually built a new nest on another tree,” Goswami said.

People for Animals activists conducted a study in the area to find as to how this rare species of birds found only near the sea could have made their home on the university campus.

“We found that the marshy land near the university are full of small species of tortoise and these birds are actually feeding on these tortoises. Probably the sea eagle pair was attracted by these tortoises,” Goswami said.

The activists of the NGO have been holding awareness meetings among university students and families residing near the area to take necessary measures so that this family is not disturbed.

Goswami said it could not be confirmed whether the family would stay here permanently.

“But going by the fact that the chicks have grown up well enough to fly along with the parents about a month back and the family is still staying here only points at one thing— that they are here to stay,” she said.

She said this was the first time that such a rare species of bird has been spotted in Assam.

“Few species of eagles are seen in Assam on earlier occasions but never before a white-tailed sea eagle,” she said.