PETA India Makes Plea For Seized Crane’s Release From Kanpur Zoo, Says Bird Must Not Be Punished For Showing Gratitude and Falling in Love

PETA India sent a heartfelt plea with folded hands to IFS and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Uttar Pradesh, Mamta Sanjeev Dubey, requesting that she “please rehabilitate and immediately release the seized sarus crane from Kanpur Zoo back to the bird’s locality and natural habitat”.

In the appeal, PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Saloni Sakaria writes, “A zoo, where even animals who have known no other life become neurotic and depressed from their imprisonment, is simply no place for a wild bird who has only shown gratitude to the person who saved the bird’s life. There is law and procedure and then there is humanity, and while we agree with the Uttar Pradesh government that the correct procedure would have been to contact forest officials about the hurt bird, in this case, farmer Mohammad Arif did what he thought was best – nurture the injured bird back to life. It is this good deed that the crane is unable to forget.”

 

The letter states, “Mr Arif has insisted the crane, upon recovery, would come and go per the bird’s own will and that the crane would fly into the jungle and then fly back. Surely, we cannot punish the bird for falling in love? And certainly, an exception might be made for Mr Arif who clearly loves the bird, too, by counselling him on what to do if he comes across hurt wildlife again instead of booking him under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972? After all, he did protect wildlife.”

 

Sakaria ends the letter by pleading, “The crane has been healthy and perfectly well in Mr Arif’s locality for at least a year. There is no reason to believe the bird is in any real danger. We urge you to release the bird back to Mr Arif’s area and simply work with him on how to help the crane thrive better in nature.”

PETA India urges anyone who comes across hurt wildlife to immediately contact their local forest department.