Children and Youth Become Helping Hand to Birds

18 January - 24 January '09

Powai - 18 January 09 : Makar Sankrant is called to be the festival of kites, when people enthusiastically fly kites, oblivious to the hazard it poses for birds. During this Makar Sankrant day hundreds of bird were injured or trapped in the threads of flying kites in the suburbs.

Students and youth volunteers from Plant & Animals Welfare Society Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) had organized a First aid cum rescue camp to help the birds which get trapped and get injured.

On the day of Makar Sankrant PAWS-Mumbai team helped two eagles 16 pigeons from death. While talking to PP Nisha Subramanian of Student Wing In-charge said, “Among the rescued bird we had not found any major injury, most of the birds were trapped in the threads, so after giving first aid most of the birds were released.”

She also said even after Makar Sankrant Day they have been receiving calls about bird trapped and injured.

If you come across any such bird pls call PAWS-Mumbai Helpine 9833480388

Deer Freed from Powai Garden Mini Zoo

01 February - 07 February '09
By: Staff Reporter

Powai - 01 February 09 : Constant campaign by animal activists has finally paid off. It has taken three years for the forest department to free 85 deer from captivity in Powai Garden Mini Zoo . However, 12 deer died while being transferred to Tungareshwar sanctuary near Vasai.

The animals were kept cramped in cages and the wire mesh of the holding cage was broken at many places, resulting in injuries to the animals. Many deer had taken ill and were being looked after by a BMC appointed veterinary doctor.

Sunish Subramanian -Secretary & Animal Welfare Officer of Animals Welfare Board of India said "Following to an information our organisation Plant & Animals Welfare Society - Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) team visited to the spot an launched an written complaint with Dy. Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Division, Thane Office. Later the office have seized some wildlife which are as 120 kg of Deer's horns, 1 Star Turtle & 75 Live Deer's which were again handover the BMC, And offence was booked under Wildlife (Protection) Act Central Zoo Act, against 3 topmost officers BMC that is Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Hydraulic Engineer Powai, Assistant Engineer Out Side City, Assistant Garden Superintendent Powai. “

He also added, “We also filed many RTI application to get information about the deer in cage, following to the complaint Animal welfare Board of India was also send letter to forest department. This deer had been illegal enclose at BMC garden at Powai for more then 40 years as per the RTI reply received by PAWS-Mumbai".

Now they have shifted all the deer to the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary at Vasai. It is clear that since 1996 the wildlife department has failed to take action against offenders and book offenders in front of Hon. Court, because the offenders are not common citizens but government body.

In this regard while talking to to P.N.Munde, Conservator of forest, Sanjay Gandhi National Park said "We had shifted the deer nearly a month age. The animals were transported in batches in special trucks as per the IUCN guidelines".

Dr. Vinaya Jangale Veterinary Doctor of Sanjay Gandhi National Park said "As deer are delicate animal, so we kept them in cages constructed in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary over a month before releasing in to wild.”

Become a Helping Hand for Voiceless Creatures

29 March - 04 April '09

The increasing temperature has started affecting the birds in the city too. This became evident as the Plant & Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) Mumbai has attended around 15 cases of heat stoke on birds.

“We usually get such cases in the April or May but this time almost a month before the summer heat has started that birds have fallen to heat stroke,” said Animal Welfare Officer Sunish Subamanian.

He adds, “We have rescued around 6 Kites, 9 Pigeons and 12 snakes in last 15 days. The birds fall due to heat stroke and they are in dehydrated stage, we give them multivitamin drops commonly. The birds usually fly down close to ground and crows started attack these birds.”

“As the mating season has started the snakes are coming out and some time they stray in the residential areas of the city, if you see snakes in you complex If please don't kill them, keep an watch on it and call snake rescuer,” said wildlife expert Ulhas Thakur.

How one can become a helping hand for voiceless creatures : If you see such distressed birds in your vicinity, pick the bird using a cloth and put in a box or basket which has adequate ventilation and call an animal welfare group for help. This days many birds die due to thirst of water, you can help them by keeping water pots in your building terrace, in front of home/ shop / office, out side you building or if possible on the roadside, so that animals can quench their thirst.

Every summer stray cattle, dogs and other animals look for water in the sweltering heat. This year , PAWS-Mumbai has launched “Beat the Summer Heat” on the event of World Water Day 22 March, initiative which involves building water pots near pavements and roadside edges or by keeping water pots outside volunteers home, office, shops, etc.

These are square sized mud pots affixed and filled with water everyday by any local animal lover or resident. Now the thirsty cow or working animals, a running cat or a stray dog would have drinking water facility this way.

To support this movement you can contact PAWS-Mumbai on E-Mail : sunish9833480388@gmail.com or Helpline : 9833480388

Gen X eco-savvy

Our Town Team

November 17 – 23, 2006

It’s heartening to note that the young generation is aware of their responsibilities towards the nature. A youth school going girl from Bhandup showed concern towards nature and went all the way to save a turtle that had strayed in a drain in Nahur.

It all began when Rupa Gupta a student of Standard VII of NES high school in Bhandup West was travelling from Thane to Bhandup by train when she spotted a turtle lying in a drain along the tracks. Gupta immediately called up her friend Nisha Kunju, who is an animal welfare activist. Kunju also information the activists of Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) who also reached the site.

The entire team including the member of PAWS-Mumbai along with Gupta and Kunju searched the entire span of the drain along the railway track number one. Finally, after looking around for pretty long tree and half hours, the team finally succeeded in tracking down the turtle that was flowing along the current.

According to the members of PAWS-Mumbai, the rescued turtle belonged to the flattened, round – shelled turtles of the family Trionychidate that are known commonly as soft-shelled turtles. These flat-shelled turtles are well adopted to a life of concealment on the bottoms of lakes and rivers. The PAWS-Mumbai team promptly took the reptile in its care and released it in the well at the compound of forest range office at Amar Nagar in Mulund Colony. A resident of Patkar Compound, Bhandup West, Gupta and her friend Kunju were relived after the turtle was released back in the nature. When asked what prompted her to act in this situation, she said that she was inspired by her friend Kunju. “I have always been seeing Kunju working for highly inspired by her works”, said Gupta.

Monitor Lizard Found in the middle of Concrete Jungle at Malad East

The Times of India - West Side Plus
15 October 2008

A three-feet-long Monitor Lizard was rescued from Shivpuri Pragati Madanal’s concrete jungle, on Pipari Pada Road, Malad East on Friday, October 10, 2008. The lizard was regular visitor to residents of Madanal. Says Sunish Subramanian, Founder & Secretary, Plant & Animals Welfare Society- Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai), “The monitor lizard had become a regular visitor at the homes of residents of this slum pocket. Residents of plot number 267 at Gokul Dham Market had been calling us since Wednesday, October 8. However, in spite an intensive manhunt we were unable to locate and rescue the lizard.”

Continues Subramanian, “However, finally on Friday, October 10, on receiving a call, we reached the spot immediately. But lizard escaped through a hole in one of the houses. This time with a determination to rescue it, we checked the roofs where the lizard was spotted that evening. After three hours, we located the lizard lying underneath a plastic sheet on the roof of one of the house.”

Says a resident, “At first sight, we couldn’t believe our eyes. First sight, because it was so huge, and secondly, we mistook it for a baby crocodile from its appearance. It sped so fast when we tried to reach it that we got terrified. Therefore instead of catching it ourselves, we decided to call PAWS-Mumbai members.”

PAWS-Mumbai has already informed the forest officers, and it will soon be released in the supervision of forest staff.

Resident & NGO become helping hand for an OWL……..

PAWS-Mumbai rescue team member Hussain Shaikh with Raju Kale Society Manage with rescued Owl

08.12.08 : As the breeding season of Owls is over during this period, the young Owls often nesting in the blocks on the building drainage arrangement are barely able to fly. However, to escape the heat in the block, they suddenly try to fly out. Being new to the area and flying, they fall prey to the crows, cats or to other animals. Moreover, due to people’s belief that an Owl found in there house is a bad omen, many end up hurting it says Nisha Subramanian Administrator PAWS-Mumbai.

Recently the Gem Powai Vihar C.H.S. resident found such guest in there society and they call up the PAWS-Mumbai team who guided the resident how to catch the bird, the resident successes in rescuing the bird. “As such bird was new to us & we do not know how to handle such birds, but as per the guidance of PAWS-Mumbai Office, we successes in rescuing the Bird, and hand it over to PAWS-Mumbai Team” said Society Secretary S. Devishankar.

PAWS-Mumbai rescue team member Hussain Shaikh who reached the spot said “the Owl was not injured but it was afraid & was in dehydrate condition, after giving multivitamin drop & keeping for some time in safe place. It will release back in to natural habitat”.

PAWS-Mumbai team rescued 2 Owls from Ghatkopar Area

Hon. Animal Welfare Officer Sunish Subramanian with rescued 2 Owls

On 28.11.2008 : PAWS-Mumbai rescue team received 2 calls from Ghatkopar area, following to the call PAWS-Mumbai team reached to the spot and rescued the Owls. After necessary treatment by veterinary doctor, it was released back into the nature under the supervision of Wildlife Staff.