Meet The Youngster Who Animal Welfare Organisations Call When They Need To Rescue Animals In India's Concrete Jungles!

Kiran Kumar DS, 30, a wildlife rescuer, is on the speed dial of many animal welfare organisations in the city like Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC), People For Animals (PFA) and a host of well-meaning citizens who often call him to rescue birds and animals that are in distress.

TOI

Kumar, who spent weekends during his growing-up years in and around the Bannerghatta National Park, started rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife since 2010. He took a plunge when ¡ª during a first-hand experience ¡ª he found several gaps in how rescue and rehab efforts in the city worked.

AFP

Kumar, who works with a real estate company in the city, started volunteering with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) forest cell, making himself available whenever his day job permitted. He says:

"I started to train and gain practical experience from BBMP rescuers. As I started getting better at the job, I began to get calls from the BBMP control room."

bccl|Representative image

He has saved more than 3,500 birds, animals, reptiles and even domestic animals. The list includes black-winged kite, brahmani kite, Indian peafowl, aquatic birds like pond heron, cattle egret, parakeets such as the malabar parakeet, alexandrian parakeet, varieties of mynahs, house crow, Indian robin, animals like monkeys, squirrels, reptiles like the common cobra, rat snake and green vine snake.

wrc|Representative image

Kumar, who attends about five rescue calls a day, also conducts awareness programmes about the various elements that cause injury to birds and wildlife. "People don't know that the commonlyused Chinese manja strings, used for flying kites, are very harmful to birds. They die when they get trapped in it," he says. He suggests people use nylon or cotton manja since they are less harmful.

wrrc

Old Bengaluru had homes and people who coexisted with the flora and fauna of the city, he points out. "Older generations should play an active role in helping youngsters realise the importance of preserving the environment," Kumar says, adding that he imbibed his love for animal welfare from his elders.

Says Deepika S Dhakad, a volunteer, about Kumar's work: "In this busy world, Kumar takes time out for birds and animals in distress. Sometimes, he spends his own resources. It's heartening to have people like him and we should always applaud such efforts."

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