Soldiers trained for the border are also protecting 3,000 migratory birds in Patna

Beyond its military role, Danapur cantonment in Patna has emerged as a seasonal refuge for thousands of migratory birds that arrive every year for nesting. What makes the site remarkable is the unusual bond between soldiers and wildlife: army personnel, often trained for operations along the borders, are actively involved in protecting the birds, caring for the injured and preventing poaching within the protected campus, according to Col Om Prakash.

Among the seasonal visitors is the graceful Asian openbill stork, a migratory species that arrives between May and June for nesting. According to Col Prakash, Danapur cantonment has, over the decades, evolved into a safe breeding ground where thousands of migratory birds return with remarkable regularity, arriving from a vast migratory belt stretching across parts of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.

The army has effectively turned parts of the cantonment into a micro-ecological zone where nests are safeguarded and disturbances are strictly controlled during the breeding season. ‘Each year migratory birds build large communal nests on tall trees inside the cantonment area. By the end of the monsoon, they raise their young ones and as winter approaches, the flocks gradually leave the region and return to the Himalayan foothills and other colder regions,’ Col Prakash said.

Locals and birdwatchers estimate that around 3,000 birds arrive during the peak season, with the number doubling as young birds join the return migration.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by PJeganathan