India TV - 18.03.09 - ACP Arjun Report

The Anti-Extortion Cell arrested three men at Bhiwandi, who were trying to sell the owls

Dogs rescued from terrace after recovery agents seal Airoli house

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 About Pics : Neighbours called PAWS-Mumbai and the police to rescue the dogs.
Two dogs got trapped in an Airoli row house after insurance company recovery agents sealed it. They were rescued on Tuesday morning after a neighbour called an animal welfare society. Ramchandra Rao and his family were made to vacate their house — as they hadn’t been repaying a loan — in a rush and didn’t have time to check on the dogs. “It was chaotic. We did not know where to go.

We usually leave our pets on the terrace as strays pose a threat when they are in the compound,” said Rajat, Ramachandra’s son. The lonely dogs barked through the night, alarming neighbours who later realised that the two had been left behind.

A neighbour called the Plant and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)Mumbai on Tuesday morning. They helped rescue the animals. Neighbours say that Rajat had gone to the house on Monday evening and fed the dogs. “Since we had not found alternate accommodation, I could not take them with me,” Rajat said. The rescuers used a neighbour’s terrace to get to the dogs.

“We feel the insurance company must give time to families with pets... The officials must check the house before sealing it. I am sending a letter to the company,” said Suneesh Subramaniam, secretary for PAWS, Mumbai.

About Pics : Rajat with the two dogs who are now back home

This three-year-old is a certified animal activist

9 Apr 2009

MUMBAI: He has not yet started attending kindergarten, but this three-year-old is already a certified animal activist, thanks to his love for birds and animals.

Hitesh Yadav from Tulsipada in Bhandup (W) has become the youngest member and volunteer for Plant & Animals Welfare Society (PAWS), after he recently rescued two baby sparrows that had fallen from their nest. The baby birds were dehydrated due to the heat.

"Two days ago, I was surprised to see Hitesh holding two baby sparrows in his hands. He told me that they had fallen from their nest, and a cat was trying to grab them,'' said Hitesh's mother, Nirjala Yadav.

She called up Nisha Subramanian of PAWS, who put the rescued fledglings at a sparrow shelter in Bhandup. The founder and secretary of PAWS-Mumbai, Sunish Subramanian, said, "I am happy to make Hitesh a member of PAWS, as he is interested in animal rescue.”

Subramanian added that two weeks earlier, Hitesh had noticed a barn owl in distress near his home; it was disoriented due to dehydration in the summer heat. He had immediately brought it to his mother's notice.

"Hitesh now spends a lot of time at our office in Bhandup, looking at rescued animals like snakes, kites, cats and others,” said Subramanian.

In the current hot weather, PAWS-Mumbai has rescued seven kites, 15 pigeons and 15 snakes, which were suffering from heat stroke or dehydration.


About Pics : IN SAFE HANDS: Hitesh Yadav received rescued two baby sparrows that had fallen off their nest

REACH OUT TO ANIMALS IN DISTRESS
1. If you notice any bird or animal in distress, call PAWS-Mumbai on 9833480388; or email sunish9833480388@gmail.com
2. If you find an animal suffering from heat stroke, gently pick it up with a wet cloth, and place it in a cardboard box with holes for ventilation, before calling an animal rescue NGO
3. Place water bowls in your area for birds and animals

‘Rare owls? Who gives a hoot’

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Cops arrest three men for trying to sell Eurasian Eagle Owls worth lakhs. If the birds hadn’t been rescued, they would’ve been sacrificed on Holi
About Pics : Accused: Shantaram Nisal alias baba, Chetan Gole and Pranesh Patil

As recession slowly takes its toll on people and the levels of desperation soar perilously high, those in the thick of it are willing to go to any extent to cheat their way out of bankruptcy. And the latest scapegoats were three rare and protected Eurasian Eagle Owls, who were nearly sold for sacrifice on Holi, in keeping with a superstition that the blood of an owl would shower the believer with riches.

The Anti-Extortion Cell on Monday arrested three men at Bhiwandi, who were trying to sell the owls. Senior police inspector Chandrakant Joshi, who headed the team, said: “Our plainclothesmen spotted Pranesh Patil and Chetan Gole on a bike outside Kirti Hotel; the two were carrying a plastic bag. The officers, who were on the lookout following a tipoff, noticed movement inside the bag and nabbed the duo,” senior police inspector Chandrakant Joshi.

Shantaram Nisal alias Baba, 56, was arrested later. “The three men had planned to sell these owls for sacrifice on Holi,” added Joshi.

Bird lovers say the practice of sacrificing owls has long been prevalent. “It is a superstition that sacrificing owls showers the one who performs this ritual with money. And this superstition has only grown among business communities or those who deal in Commerce following recession,” says activist Adesh Shivkar. “Those who sell these owls cash in on this superstition as they know believers will shell out any amount of cash - the bigger the owl, the higher the rate. And the Eurasian Eagle owls are among the largest.”

Another activist, Sunish Subramaniam, reasons that the superstition is baseless: “On the contrary, the owl should be protected as it is the vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi. Owls eat rodents, protect our grains and, as a result, increase productivity.”

The three owls, each over two feet tall, are in the care of a veterinarian at the moment, and will soon be released at Borivli National Park.

Meanwhile, the accused have been charged under Sections 38, 39, 48, 49, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act. They will remain in police custody till April 12.

About Pics : Eurasian Eagle owls

More to the ‘spy birds’ than meets the eye?

Friday, February 06, 2009

IB probing Pak link of men held for selling these wild birds illegally

Thane: The Anti Poaching Unit, the vigilance wing of the forest department, and a Mumbai-based NGO, has trapped a group of people for dealing with wild birds illegally.

About Pics : one bird in hand: One of the rescued birds

What's shocking is that the birds recovered belong to the same species that have been earlier used by Pakistan as spies. So what seemed like a case of the forest department trapping people to save the rare species of birds has now assumed a new dimension.

About Pics : Ashfaque (second from left) after his arrest

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is reportedly looking whether this case is linked with Pakistan. The accused are now in police custody.

The case began with founder of PAWS, the NGO, Sunish Subramanyam registering a complaint against the website oxl.com, where the wild birds are placed for sale.
The Thane forest department took the lead and arrested two youths - Farhan Anwar Khan (24) and Mohammed Siddiqui Sayyed (25) aka Javed - on Jan 31 near Santa Cruz airport. After interrogation, the duo revealed the name of Ashfaque Yasin Mohmin (30), the main seller.

The department then trapped Ashfaque at Crawford Market on Feb 4. He has a shop there and he undertakes the illegal activity of selling rare species of birds from here.

"We got a complaint against this illegal activity after a complaint registered against the website. Zeroing in on this, we trapped the three accused. The Schedule I Part III of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 says that the birds belong to rare species and there is a ban on their sale," said Assistant Conservator of Forests Satish Phale.

Sources said that the forest department had earlier laid two traps to nab the accused, but failed. Finally, they called the officials at Santa Cruz airport and managed to nab them on Saturday night.

The sources also claimed that these are the same birds which are used by Pakistan as spies after giving rigorous training. These birds found in northern part of the India and are a rare sight in this area. It is now claimed that there is a chain of people selling such birds.

The Intelligence Bureau is now believed to be scrutinising the matter and trying to ascertain whether these men are also linked with the espionage network.

Barn owls get a new year gift of life

Sunday, January 06, 2008
Volunteers of PAWS saved five of these birds from being illegally sold, one of which died because of the heat and suffocation, and the other four survived
About Photo : These barn owls had been squeezed in this carton with no holes to facilitate breathing

For these four barn owls, the volunteers of Plant and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) are Santa. On Sunday, volunteers from the PAWS rescued five owls that were being illegally sold at Andheri (E) by an unidentified person.

According to Sunish Subramanian of PAWS, they received the tip from an unknown caller stating that a person carrying a box containing some birds was standing near the traffic signal at Powai.

“As soon as we reached the spot, we located the person, who started running as soon as he spotted our ambulance, leaving the box on the road. There were five owls, of which one had died due to heat and suffocation, as there were no holes in the box. The rescued owls were given water and were taken to the Parel veterinary hospital,” informed Subramanian.

Factfile
Barn owls usually hatch in October, and become adults around December. In fact, many of them are usually lost or are seen dazed far from their habitat, as they are not yet confident of their surroundings. Due to this, they become an easy prey for aggressive birds such as crows during this time of the year.

Little Boy Saves Baby Sparrow

05 April – 11 April ’09
KIDDIES SECTION
About Photo : Little Hitesh Yadav who rescued two baby Sparrow

In the fast moving world when grown-ups have no time for themselves, kids show a bright path for sensitivity for birds and animals at times that sets you thinking.

Hitesh Yadav, a three year old boy found two baby sparrow fallen from their nest near his house. Hardly had the sparrow fallen they were being chased by a cat.

Hitesh’s heart moved at the sight and he chased the cat away and lifted the baby sparrows. The boy’s mother Nirjala Yadav then took the birds to PAWS-Mumbai activist Nisha Subramanian. The baby sparrows have been kept in a sparrow shelter with other rescued sparrows to be nurtured till they grow up to be released in nature.

Talking to PP Nisha said, “It is a good sign that today’s generation is showing interest in animal welfare & environment protection, which is very important in today’s world to save our Mother Earth and we want more children to be like him. It is only then we will definitely make a difference and live in harmony with nature.”

If you are an animal lover like Hitesh and ever find a bird or animal in distress; you can help the bird or animal yourself, call PAWS-Mumbai Helpline 98333480388 for guidance and become a helping hand for our voiceless creature.