Horses Not Par For These Courses!

Monday, September 21, 2009 . Page 24 (Back Page)

After actress Hema Malni’s letter to the Kalyan RTO demanding action against tongawallas who ill-treat their horses, the RTO has initiated action with the help of the Kalyan Municipal Corporation, which had granted them license to run tongas.

Encouraged by this, the Mumbai-based organization PAWS-Mumbai has nabbed a person who was forcibly dragging away a horse.

According to Sunish Subramanian, PAWS-Mumbai, founder, “On Friday evening at around 7pm we got a call from a person saying that a man was forcibly dragging a horse on the Eastern Express Highway”.

Subramanian informed the police control room and later reached the spot himself and helped apprehend the person. The person, who identified himself as Iqbal Basheer Sheikh, claimed that he was a resident of Kalyan and the horse owner had assigned him the job of transporting the horse to Nariman Point, where he his buyer was located.

According to Subramanian, as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which was amended in 2001, a person transporting a horse or other such animal on foot must feed and provide water to the animal at regular intervals if the distance is long.

Sheikh confessed that he had not done so and also admitted to have consumed ganja himself enroute.

It may be recalled that, recently, a house found in Kalyan in an injured condition had later died at the hospital. Talking the matter seriously, Heem Malini, had intervened in the matter of ill-treatment of horses.

However, when the PAWS-Mumbai activist took the horse to Vikhroli Police Station to register a case against the person responsible, the police merely sent him away with a warning.

What the Law says?

According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animals on Foot) Rules, 2001, a person transporting horses, ponies, mules, donkeys on foot can only travel 45 km per day, or 6 km per hour. Every three hours, drinking water should be provided to the animals and every six hours, food. Moreover if the person transporting the animal or person transporting the animals or animals is not their owner, he must carry a certifying letter from the owner.

Horse rescued from nightmarish journey

Sunday Times of India . September 20, 2009 . Times City . Page 9

MUMBAI: An injured horse, which had a fracture in one of its hind legs and a wound on its back, was rescued on Friday night on the Eastern Express Highway, near Vikhroli, by an animal activist.

The horse's handler, Iqbal Bashir Shaikh (see pic), was visibly drunk when intercepted by Sunish Subramanian of Plant and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS)Mumbai.

"I was shocked to discover that the injured animal was forced to trot all the way from Kalyan to Nariman Point, where its owner resides. According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animals on Foot) Rules of 2001, no animal can be made to walk more than 5 km during its transportation. Also, for long distance journeys, the animal must be accompanied by a vet,'' said Subramanian, adding that both these conditions were violated in this case.

However, he feels that the police must be more sensitive towards such cases so that such incidents are not repeated. "The police official on duty was booking the horse handler under the Bombay Police Act, and not the stricter Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. PAWS will meet the police commissioner D Sivanandan to sensitise the police to the cases of animal cruelty,'' he added.

Residents panic as snake found in Byculla home

Tuesday. September 15, 2009 . Metro . Page 7

The very thought still gives 23-year-old Rupesh Pawar a light shudder.

On Sunday evening, the Byculla resident was watching television at his one-room home at Patanwalla Road when he saw a snake slithering on the floor of his house.

He realised that the baby serpent was the highly poisonous Russell’s Viper.

“It’s not a new thing for me. I used to catch snakes in this area during monsoon,” said Pawar. “I will hand it over to the authorities.”

Pawar said people had seen snakes crawling out of the zoo as the authorities dump garbage behind the slums.

Social worker Mahendra Gawde threatened that locals would protest if the zoo authorities did not take steps to ensure that wild animals stay within the zoo premises.

“We will launch a search operation in the area,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Zoo) Chandrashekhar Rokde.

Rokde, however, was unable to identify the serpent. “This python is not poisonous,” he said, refering to the Russell’s Viper.

Sunish Subramanian of the Plant and Animal Welfare Society - Mumbai identified the serpent as a Russell’s Viper. “It is highly poisonous,” he said.

Snakes are usually spotted around in Borivli and Goregaon in the western subrubs and Malabar Hill in south Mumbai.

During monsoon, professional snake-catchers claimed to have rescued between 400 and 450 snakes.

Update

Update

Update

Pudhari . 16 September 2009 . Front Page . Mumbai

Snakes taking to the suburbs!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 . Page 24

After the recent rains in the city, snakes are being founding increasing numbers in housing complexes. During the last three days, a PAWS-Mumbai team rescued seven snakes from residential areas of Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjur Marg, and the BARC Colony. Interestingly, most of the rescued snakes were non-venomous, like rat snakes, common wolf snakes, cat snakes and sand boas. According to wildlife experts, the city has witnessed major habitat destruction, which has resulted in animals like snakes and even at times, leopards, entering residential area located on the city’s outskirts. This monsoon, the PAWS team alone has rescued more than a hundred snakes from various housing localities in the suburbs.

According to Sunish Subramanian, founder of PAWS-Mumbai, “Since the last few years there has been an increase in the number of snake sightings in residential areas, especially in and around newly-constructed buildings.”

Subramanian however, said one reason why snakes are sighted in monsoons so frequently is that they breed some time just before the monsoon. “Their burrows or other dwelling places often get flooded forcing them to come out in the open. That is why so many baby snakes are also seen around this time.”

Narayan Rajpal, a Mulund resident, said “Our neighborhood has a lot of construction activity going on and we keep sighting snakes every other day, especially during the heavy rains.”

So as to avoid a shock:

Remove all piles of debris or garbage and trim unkempt bushes, as these are the most likely hiding places for snakes.

Fix nets on windows all over the house including the washrooms, and always keep the doors closed.

Keep pet birds away from windows and trim tree branches that touch or come to close to the windows.

Fill up all the rat holes in the compounds.

Youngsters save injured horse, PAWS evacuates

Page 3 . 13 September - 19 September '09

Powai - 13 September 09 : An aged horse had been abandoned by its owner had been straying on the Eastern Express Highway, just got narrowly missed being hit by a vehicle. A Samaritan informed PAWS about this, but the rescue team could not locate the animal in the area reported.

It was two days later again that PAWS got a call that an injured horse is roaming on the Lake Road in Bhandup. Sunish Subramanian of PAWS-Mumbai said, “We rushed to the spot and got the horse this time. We rescued it and evacuated the injured horse to the Animal Hospital in Parel.”

The horse had little blindness in one eye, and had injuries on the leg and back. The animal had gone meek and helpless of age.

In case you want to help an animal in distress call Plant & Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) Mumbai, Helpline number 9833480388