Yes, I Was Abandoned!

Imagine anyone being careless with this lovely little dog. But somebody was. He was found wandering sadly about Powai by a kind person who sheltered him for a while. This elderly little chap was obviously used to the good life. He jumped into her car and sat on chairs wherever he could find them.

Finally we accepted him into the Deonar Centre. There's nothing much wrong with him, except that he has a damaged ear. His teeth are intact and his nature is very pleasant, however, now being in the middle of hundreds of dogs, he has developed the usual skin problem.

He loves being in the IDA garden - at least it is a small space he can explore in safely.
Loves being petted and brushed. Dogs really have very few needs. It's sad that he was kicked out of his home. We are trying our best to keep him contented and happy but it's a tough job after what he's been through.

Visit to Byculla Zoo

The IDA Team visited the Zoo in July to check on Shiva the rhino and once again intercede on his behalf. We met the Zoo Director and made some more suggestions for the enrichment of Shiva's enclosure. Let's see what materialises. At least we got a patient hearing.

By the time. another IDA member was taking pictures of Shiva and his neighbours.
For once the pools are topped up with water as it is the height of the monsoon and plenty of rain has been falling. The top two pictures show Shiva. Not much of him - he was for once in a state of bliss, under water, blowing bubbles. Usually he is standing in one foot of tepid water looking just miserable.

The hippos in the third picture must have been happy too. These huge aquatic animals require deep water at all times, and for once they were enjoying themselves, submerged in their pool. They also usually have very little water to bathe in and can be seen lying on their sides, rounded sides sticking right up out of the water, getting baked in the hot sun, something that is very bad for them as they have skin that burns out of water. We were also glad to see one of the two elephants, strolling about his enclosure in the tall grass.

Going to check on Shiva this month as well. Let's see if things have improved.

Baby Crow Rescue

Walking my dog at an unusual time, I noticed two small boys busy at the side of a large gutter on the opposite side of the road. They were lifting heavy stones from some construction debris, staggering to the side of the gutter and dropping them in after careful positioning. I thought they might have spotted a large frog and were trying to target and kill it. As I quickly crossed the road, they dropped their stones and ran for dear life. When I looked inside the gutter, I was aghast to see a baby crow cowering inside.

The problem was how to get it out. I rushed home and returned with a basket with a rope attached to the handle. As soon as I lowered it, the crow just jumped in and sat tight while I pulled it out of the drain.

Got him home, then wondered what to do. A basket or box is very confining for these types. The tail feathers get broken and destroyed, so I thought of the clothes stand.
It worked! He was quite happy to perch, hop about, except his food and try a little flying around the room after a few days. Fortunately, he had not suffered any damage from the "attack".

What makes children target a helpless creature like this? Wish I could have reached the boys, I would have spoken to them and tried to persuade them to help all of us help animals instead of trying to hurt and kill them. Don't blame them. They have to try and live in this cruel city themselves, poor little things. They are just lashing out at the next helpless creature and they had spotted this little crow. Just by luck, I spotted them.