This Bangalore Sanctuary Gives Injured Animals A Second Chance At Life

Urbanization is often called one of the greatest evils to have been imposed on mother Earth and nature in general over the past few decades. Rapid development and ballooning rates of population meant that large scale development that had happened over a very short period of time in an ecospace that has been untouched for millions of years has benefitted, no one else but human beings. In the case of Bangalore especially, vast stretches of forested land had to make way for tall glass facades , towering brick and mortar buildings and high-rise apartments. The threat of living in a ‘concrete Jungle’ has severe detrimental impacts on the health and safety of the native flora and fauna which used to thrive in abundance in the the same land that pot-holed roads have now taken permanent residence.

With the alarming rise in temperatures and irregular weather patterns ironically now a common feature of Bangalore’s ‘once ideal’ weather conditions , animals and birds commonly suffer the most. This is because of the terrorizing impact humans have had on the ecosystem in which they survive, which is only worsening everyday. Due to the lack of a proper and accountable municipal authority that protects ‘urban wildlife’, many avians and reptiles often do not receive any help at all from the ignorant civic authorities.

Cue - ‘ The Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre’ , founded by Jayanthi Kallam and Saleem Hameed. Jayanthi is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator from New York who wanted to take up a more proactive role in the protection and preservation of wildlife. She is also one among a few certified wildlife rehabilitators recognized by the International wildlife rehabilitation council, USA. Saleem, on the other hand is one of the most well-known names in urban wildlife rehabilitation in Bangalore with over twenty seven years of experience. Saleem has played a crucial part in facilitating the setup of nearly all urban wildlife rehabilitation centres in the city. He is also a wildlife photographer and artist who uses his works to raise public awareness. The pair met in 2015 and started out rescuing band rehabilitating wild birds at a friend’s apartment which could be termed as the humble beginnings of the ARRC.

The ARRC moved into the first recognized rehabilitation centre soon after. The facility is located in ‘Horamavu’ and is spread across a total of 10,000 square feet with the land being suitable wooded. The centre is equipped with modular outdoor cages to house injured and sick avians along with ‘flight aviaries’ for flight testing and conditioning. That’s not all, ARRC also houses a surgical theatre for surgical procedure along with separate rooms for hatchlings, baby birds, adult birds and reptiles. Speaking about the man-power available at their disposal, the team explains “We operate on a very lean staff, six employees who do everything from rescuing, cleaning cages, medicating and taking care of the animals.” Despite this however, the team is always on call and does a terrific job around the city. The centre is also completely self-funded and does not rely on donations!

When called upon, the organization has helped save the lives of Black Kites, Mynas, Koels, Sparrows, Snakes, Turtles and Squirrels among others. The degree of intervention that requires the ARRC to jump into action often depends on the nature of the injury. In some cases, birds that appear awake and show no sign of injury only need a few hours of rest and relaxation before they reunite with their flock. Although in dire circumstances, the team guides the caller on a number of steps that can be taken to ensure the bird is safe until help arrives.

However, when questioned about the state of urban wildlife in the city of Bangalore, the organization did not have an optimistic answer. The cost of development has been particularly brutal on the ecology of the metropole with the loss of green cover, burning of garbage and waste dumps, air pollution, demolition and construction works, use of pesticides and chemicals being the major factors that are contributing to it’s destruction. The scarcity of adequate drinking water and sources of natural food available to birds and turtles in particular has seen a massive spike in the number of cases that are now being admitted at ARRC.

This does not dissuade the good samaritans who work tirelessly to answer as many rescue calls as humanly possible throughout the week. The team makes no abones about expressing gratitude to the citizens who have helped in ensuring those in distress are given the best possible care. The team says “Many of Bangalore’s citizens really care for wildlife and people have been extremely patient in calling 20-30 different numbers to find someone to help an injured animal. Sometimes when they finally reach our number, they are exasperated and even shout at us, but we understand their frustrations and work extra hard to make sure that the animal is rescued and gets quality care at our facility”. There have even been cases of those who have gone out of their way to help by sacrificing work hours to drive an injured animal that needed rehabilitation or some good ‘ol tender loving care.

The ARRC does stipulate simple steps and measures that could be adopted in aiding environmental damage control methods that include being aware of one’s surroundings , leaving a bowl of water outside the house, not burning garbage piles and heaps as well as not using rat poison and harmful chemical pesticides and insecticides. Maintaining a few potted plants or shrubs at home also greatly aids in reducing the overall impact of vegetation loss which can positively impact urban flora and fauna.

By working together, it is possible to have a world that is not tilted in the favour of the dominant and ignorant homosapien race. In the ARRC’s own words “We would like to emphasize that all species are interconnected in ways that we don’t even understand yet. Let’s not be too hasty in destroying nature and the planet we share with a plethora of lifeforms which are all beautiful and significant in their own way.”

If you would like to contact the ARRC , you can call :
+919620286800 - Jayanthi
+918971234752 - Namratha