HYDERABAD, Dec 4 — Quarrying at a stone unit in Vikarabad district has been stopped for nearly a month to protect a nesting rock eagle owl after wildlife enthusiasts reported the presence of the rare bird and its eggs, the Telangana forest department said.
District Forest Officer Gnaneswar said wildlife photographer Manoj Kumar Vittapu alerted Principal Chief Conservator of Forests C. Suvarna after spotting the owl and five eggs during a routine birding visit to the Yenkathala grasslands. “We were directed to secure the site and ensure the bird is not disturbed,” he said.
Forest personnel then approached quarry owner Laxma Reddy. “He said he would halt operations until the chicks take flight,” the officer noted. Officials are now monitoring the nest daily.
The rock eagle owl, which feeds on insects and rodents, is known for inhabiting rocky areas across Southeast Asia. “It’s not endangered, but its sighting is rare,” Gnaneswar said. The department expects hatching within 15 days, followed by 20–25 days for the young owls to fly.
Vittapu said he found the eggs on November 30 wedged “between the quarry cliff and the ground,” adding that the earthmover driver stopped the machine as soon as he was alerted. “Mining was underway. If it had continued even for a few minutes, the eggs would have fallen and shattered,” he said.
WWF volunteers and animal activists also informed the department. Reddy, the quarry owner, said he suspended all activity once he learned the eggs belonged to a rare species.
