PfA Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre

In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that bird diversity in India is reducing at an alarming rate. Sparrows that would once sing to the rising sun have now become a rare sight. Media outlets and news sources have pointed to our electronic devices as a major cause for this loss in diversity, particularly the cell phone and other network broadcasting towers. Though it’s easy to point fingers and shift the blame, in this day and age we are admittedly heavily reliant on the very devices and systems that we assert are the source of this problem. So, while we can’t regress to a technologically inferior era and hope for an avian revival, what we can do is better understand exactly what electromagnetic radiation is and how it may be affecting the world around us.  Electromagnetic radiation consists of waves of the electromagnetic field that are present all around us, although invisible to the human eye. They’re used to transmit radio waves and TV or other wireless signals. T...

With the rapid growth of the city, the barrier between human and animal life grows increasingly translucent each day. The world we inhabit warrants co-existence, not in the form of independent existence, but through interdependence and mutual understanding of different life forms. The role of psychology then becomes crucial in building a healthy relationship with our earthly neighbors. Experts around the world are now looking into the psychological relationship between humans and animals that allows for peaceful coexistence, and are also emphasizing the importance of the psychological view in the modern-day world. A simple exploration of how our attitudes impact wildlife in multitudinous ways highlights the importance of changing people’s attitudes towards animals to a more positive light.  Despite being a relatively young science, psychology has made massive strides since its birth as a scientific enterprise in the late 19th century. Numerous schools of thought and theories have b...

Mankind’s understanding of the Earth’s dynamic processes and systems has largely been constructed through a lens of anthropocentrism. A shallow delve into the human psyche is enough to establish that these human-centered perspectives have historically appealed to us due to the innate drive of self-preservation. Even in the world of environmentalism, calls to action to protect biodiversity and sustain the planet have largely been motivated by human needs.  However, there has been and continues to be a dire need to step away from our existential spotlight and allow for our minds to accommodate possibilities that aren’t centered around our existence as a species. In the late 20th century, our scientific understanding had a breath of fresh air in the form of a fascinating new hypothesis that turned to Mother Earth as its basis in a time of increasing biocentric attitudes. The Gaia theory, also known as the Gaia hypothesis or principle, was formulated in the 1970s by British scientist a...

When stuck in a situation of rescuing an animal, especially urban wildlife, the reporters often find themselves clueless about their next steps. 'What to do till the rescuers arrive? What if I do something that causes more harm than good? Am I supposed to do something or just stand here?' These thoughts are common to get if you have never rescued urban wildlife before. Species classified under urban wildlife are not particularly friendly with humans. Unlike comforting a dog, cat, or cow, comforting urban wildlife is harder, considering the spike in their anxiety when we go closer to them.  So what can we do as reporters to keep the animal as well as the people around safe?  Snakes  Bangalore has a rich variety of snakes. These snakes are now victims of urbanization. We often get rescue calls about injured snakes or displaced snakes. Sometimes they enter areas in search of food. Here's what you should do till the rescuers arrive -  ● Step away from the snake slowly....

  Whenever we go out of the city for a short break or for a long weekend trip, we wish to see nature in all its beauty. We look for trees, animals and birds. We see the birds soaring in the skies freely, in their natural habitat going about their busy day of looking for food. When we see these birds in the sky, we feel a sense of satisfaction and a tinge of envy, for we look at their freedom and hope we were free like them. We wish to be lucky enough to fly like them, to just take off for a few hours and be one with the wind. Why then, do we cage birds at our homes?  Birds are meant to fly, to be with the wind, to have a social group of other beautiful birds and fly in formations. Yet, for some reason, birds are caged and sold as pets. The tradition of keeping birds as pets is not new. Many emperors and Kings have chained eagles and vultures as pets. Many Queens and princesses have held small, elegant birds captive. Any time a bird looked majestic, they were caged.  Today...

Founded by four women in 1996, People for Animals, Bangalore (PfA, Bangalore) is a non-profit organisation and is Bangalore’s oldest Wildlife Hospital.   In the initial years, though the purview was to serve all kinds of animals, PfA soon realized the necessity to look after the much-disregarded category of urban wildlife in the city. Campaigns were conducted against the exploitation of animals for circuses, ritual hunting in the neighbouring villages of Bangalore, and illegal camel slaughters caught the eye of the authorities and public alike and bore fruitful results. Situated near Turahalli Forest, Karnataka, PfA’s campus boasts a variety of wild plant and animal life. This is the optimal habitat for animal rehabilitation. Within this enriching environment, PfA operates 24/7, 365 days a year, to protect all kinds of urban wildlife. The centre has multiple enclosures for different species of birds, reptiles, and mammals, all designed to provide its residents with a habitat w...

The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 was instituted to protect wild animals from human cruelty. Due to the increase in the human population and consequent over utilisation of resources, the conflict between humans and wild animals continued to increase. Humans captured more and more land to settle civilisations, thus lessening green areas for animals to reside in. Apart from taking away their habitat, humans increasingly engaged in hunting wild animals for trade, meat among others. As animal lovers, enthusiasts, researchers and veterinarians understood animal behaviour, they realised that wildlife was not meant to interact with humans. They are different from domestic animals and prefer living in the wilderness. To protect animals from humans and to maintain ecological balance and peace, the act was instituted which made hunting, poaching, trading and occupation of reserved areas illegal and punishable by offence.  Let's dive into understanding a few of these schedules and laws that...