Biju Patnaik International Airport implements measures to control wild animal presence

Bhubaneswar: Bird menace is a common occurrence at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here, but the presence of wild animals is no less a threat to the operational area. To prevent wild animals from obstructing the flight path, BPIA authorities have put up cages, and at least one wild cat per month is trapped inside the operational area, airport officials said.“On spotting suspected movements of animals, especially wild cats, we put up a cage near the area. We keep the cage in the bushy patches in the airport, where wild cats hide. Every month, a wild cat is trapped in the cage. So far, there has been no instance of a cat causing any hindrance to operations,” said airport director Prasanna Pradhan.Sources said the airport also reports snakes, rodents and monitor lizards during monsoon when the grass and shrubs grow tall.

It is a herculean task for the airport authorities to clean and trim the grass and bushy patches. “We use grass cutters and mowers. We need to keep an eye on growth as grass regrows quickly during monsoon. This apart, regular monitoring is also being done by a dedicated team of 20 people,” Pradhan added.After wild cats are trapped in cages, airport personnel release them in the wild. They mostly feed on small birds found in the airport, which flock to eat insects.

“In a certain way, wild cats help reduce bird numbers as they are their prey,” an airport official said.Presence of wild animals in the airport was first reported in 2012 by officials. In Nov 2012, a wild cat was found trapped in the cage put up by the airport authorities. In Sept 2013, a jackal was found in the operational areas. In June and July 2014, two jackals were found trapped in a cage.Taking serious view of the bird menace at BPIA, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) wrote to chief secretary Manoj Ahuja a week back to invoke Rule 91 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937. The rule prohibits the operation of slaughterhouses within a 10-km radius of the airport because they attract birds.