14 rescued whistling ducks return to nature

Having bought lesser whistling ducks from a village, poultry vendor Mohammad Rafiqul was roaming through the town hoping to sell them. Suddenly, the caged birds caught the eyes of local bird lovers. Members of the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Community (a voluntary organisation long active in Pabna in environmental and wildlife protection) quickly intervened and made the vendor aware of the wildlife laws. Pledging that he would never trade in wild birds again and would release them at once, the vendor joined the volunteers to set the ducks free in the lake of the Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) campus. Exhausted and frail from captivity, the birds briefly splashed in the waters in newfound joy before drifting into a quiet rest with their eyes closed. As dusk descended, the flock rose into the sky in unison, flying away toward safe shelter. Here is a photo story capturing the rescue and release of these 14 lesser whistling ducks.