Voices Unheard - The experience of animals and behavioral change after animal abuse

Urban Wildlife is illegally traded to be sold as pets, food, carry out black magic among others. Most of the wildlife rescued as pets are from owners who are completely unaware of the laws which deem taming and having these animals as pets an illegal practice. These owners are then educated about the Indian Wildlife Act 1972 and the various clauses under which they can be potentially booked. When it comes to busting a regular offender, strict actions are taken which involve paying a heavy fine and jailing up to 3 years. 

Ramu, an in-care Macaque at PfA who was kept as a pet for several years.

What still remains undiscussed is the plight of these animals post confiscation. What happens to them? Are they able to get fit enough to survive in the wild? Is the effect on all animals the same? Let us tell you. 

Some of the commonly traded Indian Wildlife include Bonnet Macaques, Rose-Ringed Parakeets, Alexandrine Parakeets, Star Tortoise, Pond Terrapins, Munias, Squirrels and Black Kites. 

Mammals 

When wild mammals are illegally kept as pets, the owners are not aware of their anatomy, their physical and psychological needs. They raise a macaque like a dog, except macaques do not get enough physical exercise since they are kept chained or in a small space. The typical diet of a macaque includes fruits and leaves. Instead, owners give them all kinds of delicacies like sweets and cooked food. Regular consumption of this diet spoils their digestive system and makes them obese. PfA recently rescued a Bonnet Macaque named Dutto, who was in captivity for 8 years. He was double the size he should be when we brought him to our hospital. He had to go through a complete diet change plan and physical exercises to reduce the extra weight. He has no social and survival skills of a Macaque and will have to be with us for lifetime care. 

The age of the mammal is a crucial factor. If rescued young, the mammal can be trained according to their specific criteria. They can then be rehabilitated and released into the wild. Adult mammals have a hard time accepting their species behaviours and look out for human interaction. Mammals are supposed to live in groups are unable to adjust with their kind after their life in captivity. Their group dynamics include grooming each other and foraging for food as a family. These social cues are incomprehensible to captive animals. 

Birds 

Birds are known to get anxious of human interaction. They are not suited to live amongst humans. Sadly, humans cage these birds for selfish fetishes. Their diet is not taken care of and after the rescue, some of them need a diet makeover to revive their health and digestive system. 

Ensuring flight is the most difficult task. Caged birds often bite their wings away due to irritation and anxiety. Another reason is the lack of space. They cannot spread their wings in the small cage. Hence, to fit into the space, they bite their wings. These wings need to grow back perfectly shaped and healthy in order for them to fly. The birds need to be taught how to take flight. They are kept with their kind and they learn gradually by looking at other birds. Another sign of anxiety in birds is the constant hitting of their head against the cage, which can lead to injuries and head trauma in some cases. 

Parakeets need to be taught group behaviour while Kites need to be taught scavenging and hunting for food. Adjusting to the wild after years of captivity is not easy. The rehabilitation units built for birds are a replica of the city life so that they are trained efficiently to survive post-release. 

Reptiles 

Reptiles are comparatively easy to train, provided they are rescued in recoverable conditions. Tortoises are often rescued with weak shells. Lack of calcium in the diet provided by the owners leads to the weakening of the shells. The shell is a very important part of their body that protects them from predators as well as makes survival possible in adverse living conditions. 

Snakes are often defanged by the owners to avoid getting bit. These snakes perish. The ones which survive have no natural instincts to find food or stay alert. Thus, they are unable to protect themselves from the attackers. 

All these animals become very complacent around humans after years of captivity. But not all humans reciprocate. That is because everyone does not know the temperament and history of these animals. They might see their approach as a threat and harm them in self-defense. The process of rehabilitation involves making the animals independent of human support. They should not expect food or cuddles. Thus, rehabilitation before release is of paramount importance. 

We might think having Indian Wildlife as pets is not a big deal. So what if we have one, we will take care of them, do everything for them. The truth is, they are still not in their natural habitat. We feed them food not fit for them. The most common blunder is feeding Cerelac and milk to birds and snakes, which can potentially kill them since they are lactose intolerant. Some also feed Bournvita to mammals, which completely messes up with their digestive system. These animals grow up with humans and this imprinting leads to their natural instincts staying passive. Their personal hygiene is not paid attention to, especially after the baby grows up. We subject these animals to poor living standards. 

If we are fascinated by the Indian Wildlife and we love them, we need to plant trees, increase their natural habitat. Love encompasses seeing the other one thrive, live a fulfilling life. Keeping food and water bowls in the balcony or terrace for the urban wildlife is completely okay. Making them captives within four walls is not. A thin line between love and abuse can spoil their life. 

If you see an Indian Wildlife kept as a pet, please reach out to an animal welfare NGO or the police authorities. Give those animals a real chance at life. 

Authored by Praanjali Shukla, Volunteer @ PfA Bangalore