IPAN has a large variety of domesticated animals permanently resident at its Hill View Farm Shelter in Mavanhalla, it also has a small population of wild animals from the nearby Mudumallai Game Sanctuary that for one reason or another were not able to be rehabilitated to a wild state. |
|
|
| Some stories behind the shelter animals: |
|
|
 |
Mules |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Some of our mules |
|
|
|
|
IPANs mules are originally from Kashmir where they worked with Indian soldiers, carrying their military supplies, food and sometimes even the dead or injured soldiers. After their career in the army, these mules were sent to the King Institute Laboratories in Chennai to give blood. Mrs. Maneka Gandhi was informed about the cruelty these mules met at the Institute and all mules were confiscated. |
|
|
|
Ex-racehorses |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Ex-racehorses left to fend for themselves on the crowded streets of Ooty |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Kaveri the ex-racehorse recovered from horrific injuries and now lives happily at the shelter |
|
|
|
|
Horse racing is a popular sport in Ooty - a remenant of the days of the Raj and so there is a big ex-race horse problem there. After ones career in racing is over, the horses are sold for use as tourist rides. People operating in this tourist ride business don't have proper facilities or money to feed these horses the way they should be fed. Ex-race horses are left to live and graze on the roadsides where they often meet with accidents.
IPAN has rescued three horses like that, badly injured and left to suffer on the road without sufficient veterinary care. The ex-race horse issue in Ooty is a real problem that needs a long term solution to prevent horses ending up neglected and in the middle of traffic |
|
|
|
|
Monkeys |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Bunty when she first came to our shelter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Bunty as she is today - a happy friendly langur |
|
|
|
|
Bonnet macaques have been rescued from circuses, found as orphans due to road accidents or found badly injured. IPAN has successfully released several monkeys back to their natural state but 9 are staying permanently at the shelter, living in semi-captivity, enjoying the company of other animals. One Nilgiris Langur was found as an one day old orphan and brought to the shelter. 'Bunty' is very attached to people but is slowly learning more and more monkey-habits, like sleeping in the trees. |
|
|
|
Cow - "Plastic" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Plastic |
|
|
|
|
Plastic is one of the most famous animals at the shelter. She is a cow that suffered from anorexia and generalised weakness and depression and was operated on at the animal hospital. Almost two buckets full of plastic garbage was found and removed from its rumen. It was named as "Plastic" and it got a permanent home at the shelter. Several similar operations have been made at the IPAN hospital since eating plastic found among other garbage from the roadsides is common in the local cattle grazing freely. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Overloaded donkeys are forced to ply up and down construction sites in the hills |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Donkey foal rescued by Mrs. Vohra today |
|
|
|
|
|
Around Ooty, donkeys are used to carry heavy loads of bricks up the hills where there are no proper roads for vehicles to go. These donkeys often suffer from wounds caused by unfit harnesses and overloading. Two of the most recent rescues are two donkey foals from Ooty/Connoor. The first foal was found by IPANs secretary Mrs. Fay Vohra. The donkey was lying on the road, with a bad injury to its front limb caused by a road accident. Mrs. Vohra carried the donkey in her car and brought it to the shelter where it recovered and now lives happily with another baby donkey that was rescued from village dog attack. |
|
