The Redeemer Of Wings

In late winter when the dusk began to blot out the landscape of the village a boy below teens was returning hurriedly to his home from the playground. He was slightly frightened as it was his father’s instruction to return home and to be in his study before the sunlight of the day wanes. Suddenly he noticed a puppy crying and shivering due to the cold wind blowing over it

The boy hesitated but stood for a while. He was looking around whether its mother comes to rescue. Though he was greatly worried as the time was ticking very quickly and he was being late to reach home yet he could not step forward leaving the puppy in that state. He understood the puppy had lost its mother and very much afraid also. He slowly approached towards the puppy and the puppy also noticed the boy. It could sense the love of the boy towards him. The puppy wagged its little tail. As if it liked to express –help me please, thought the little boy.

He banged the gate of the house as he was too late in that evening to return home within the allotted daily time to spare in the playground. He saw his father was awaiting him. He was ready for the punishment. But astonishingly he saw that his father didn’t rebuke him rather asked to keep the puppy in a warm place and to bring some water and food for it.  His father became busy to nurse the puppy.  The boy several times noticed the love and sympathy of his father for the stray dogs, birds and other animals.

From childhood he got inspiration to love nature, love society and also animals and birds from his father who was respected by all the villagers as a nobleman and teacher. “The earth is not only for human beings. Nature, the forest, the birds and other animals are also a great part of it and we cannot survive if we don’t have a love for all of them. Rather we have a great role to support them which is necessary for our existence too.” he often used to say to his son and all.

Thus the boy grew up with a dream to do something different but he did not know what to do.

One day in his teenage in the morning,  he was deeply absorbed in his books as his class exam was breathing on his neck,  suddenly a sparrow intruded the room but was severely struck by the blades of the moving fan and fell down on the floor. The boy rushed towards it and quickly picked it up. He realized it was going to die unless it got treatment. But he was helpless as none was there who could show the way how to treat the injured bird. After some time the bird died on the palm of the boy. Tears were rolling down from his eyes. He stood helplessly.  For a few days, his heart was bleeding for the death of the little bird. Then he vowed to himself that in future he would set up a hospital exclusively for these gliders in the sky and create awareness among the mass not to cage a bird as the sky is the only place where they are free and enjoy their life.

At the outset of life, many persons rear up a dream to fulfil. But a few of them can reach the goal because to fulfil that dream, only the rare persons have the courage and tenacity to cross the hurdles that come on the way. The whole path of success to reach the goal is not paved with carpets of the roses rather full of hindrance and thorns of failures.   It is very tough to implement any noble idea into reality because the person has to cross the all the hurdles in every bend of the way alone, always alone and the lone fight several times injures the person tremendously. Only a brave heart can scale the pick.

In his youth, he completed his bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering, but never forgot his mission but was preparing himself to materialize his dream. By that time he started rescuing and treating injured animals and birds with some of his fellow friends of the same mentality. He started gathering information about the treatment procedures and application of them on the animals. He used to spend the maximum portion of his earnings for his mission. But soon he realized that he had to earn more and so set up a business. Slowly he could establish it. He then started finding some place full of greeneries so that he can make a hospital exclusively for birds which will be equipped with all modern medical facilities just like the hospitals of human beings. There would be I.C.U., Surgery unit and other medical facilities.

If the goal is firm and if you dedicate yourself to reach the goal one day the dream will see the sun light-it is known to all. But we always forget the struggle behind it.

It is also true to Mr.Ketan Niranjani when he successfully founded –“SIR PETER SCOTT BIRD HOSPITAL” in  January 2017  in Jamnagar. He dedicated his dream -the bird hospital to Sir Peter Scott of England who is known as the God of birds throughout the globe.

But there is a story behind the foundation of such a nice bird hospital which is recognized as the first in India where the I.C.U and other medical facilities are available especially for birds at the same time for the benefit of it other animals too.

When he was ready to set up the hospital he met the DFO of Jamnagar several times with a plea to allow him a place to set up his dream hospital. The DFO one day presented him to the present Jam Saheb of Jamnagar – His Highness Shatrushalya Singh, the descendant of the dynasty that founded Jamnagar in Gujrat.  His Highness became astonished when he came to know the dream of  Mr.Ketan Niranjani, popularly called as Ketan Bhai. The Jam Saheeb became very pleased as he himself was nourishing the same dream for many years but could not materialize as he got no right person on whom he can bestow the duty to make his dream fulfil. He immediately blessed Ketan Bhai and gifted three acres of land for this project completing the necessary repairing of the buildings which remained abandoned for many years. It is in the Hubble bubble of the city but the seclusion of a deep forest persists.

I did not know before arriving at Jamnagar last November which is now has become the other abode at the end of my life- that such a beautiful city in the extreme west of India exists. The hospital is on a vast land- filled up with tall trees and bushes. Deer, peacocks roam at large and different kind of birds make it their natural habitats.  Nearby there is a lake and a fortress –Lakhota Fort, which is now converted to a museum that attracts tourists throughout the year, especially in the winter. The lake is the place for migratory birds and is full of various species every year. Jamnagar is a very peaceful but very busy city – where people, animals and birds live peacefully with each other.

One afternoon I met Ketan Bhai and visited the hospital minutely. I became astonished as I witnessed several calls he received in my presence from the common people of Jamnagar city or from some remote villages to rescue some injured birds or dogs or cows whatever it may be. His team is always ready with their cars or bikes who voluntarily work in this mission. Ketan Bhai transfers the message to the nearby volunteer whoever may be available to attain the injured bird or animal. He opened a helpline so that no birds or animals can be unattended in their need. He often makes seminars, arranges different programmes and invites school students to visit his hospital so that they can feel the necessity to extend their co-operation to animals and birds. He often goes to remote villages and arranges shows on large screen and share the villagers on how to give treatment to animals and birds.  He creates love and awareness towards nature and all who are with us and around us

I spent almost three hours with him and watched how passionately he meets even the street dogs too and what a deep emotion of love both of them expressing to each other.  I asked him to share some experiences that touched him greatly in his course of the journey.

“Once I got a call from a far village about an injured peacock”- he started to narrate the incident. “When we reached the spot I saw the peacock had almost no sign of its life. I could barely feel its heartbeat. Yet I picked him up and placed on my lap and started the car.  While the car was running at the top speed to reach the hospital as soon as possible, I was continuously providing heart massage and suddenly I yelled with joy as I could feel its heart started beating normally again. I’m thankful to The Almighty that He helped me to give back the life of a poor and helpless bird. I’m thankful to him.”

Ketan Bhai is not at all interested to talk about himself- I realized. So again I requested to share any other experience. He said – “Actually you see there are vet doctors but there are no exclusive doctors and treatments for the birds only. They are different; completely different from other non-human creature. In our country, there is still no advancement in the treatment of birds, so I have to find out some other ways.  Once I got an injured Sun Bird baby. You know how small these birds are, so its baby so small that it was very difficult for us to give him feeding. I then getting no other way kept it securely in the open air. I noticed that other Sunbirds appeared to it one by one. And for some days they took the responsibility to feed him and cure him. One day in the early morning I noticed it has got sufficient strength to stand up and flutter its wings. Next day the bird went back to its natural habitats with his other fellow birds. It was a memorable experience for me.”

How many birds get treatment in your hospital on average per month? I asked him.

– About 150 birds. From January 2017 till date nearly 847 peacocks and 152 migratory birds got treatment here. And our success rate is almost 85 to 90 %. Within the existing facility, we can provide service within 200 sq kilometres. Day by day people becoming more aware of birds and animals so we are getting more and more calls to rescue and that proves our efforts are not going in vain.

I was amazed hearing his answer.

-What is your next plan to do? I again raised a question.

I’m going to purchase X-ray and sonography machine but the problem is that tiny probes which are necessary to treat birds are not available here. I’m in connection with those companies who produce such probes, mainly of New Zealand, Australia and the USA. I like to purchase an ambulance with an ICU facility so that on the way we can treat. My astonishment knew no bound.

I suddenly noticed the clock was going to strike nine. Every day what a hectic life he has to spend yet he showed no sign of tiredness or disgust to satisfy my queries. I felt that lots of money are to spend every day here. I liked to know how the expenses are being managed. At first, he hesitates to answer but when I penetrated his hesitation he expressed only that they never ask anyone to help them monetarily rather they request everyone to join the mission to save birds, animals and nature. I realized he is such a nice person that he never wants to come under the limelight.

Any message to us? I like to know what he wants to share with us. ” Please take responsibility to love these beautiful gliders,other animals and nature. Don’t cage them for your pleasure. Let them be happy and undisturbed in their natural habitats.” He ended up with a very pleasant smile.

When finally I was to shake his hand and to say goodnight I met a very nice gentleman who requested me to stay for a while as he had to ask someone to arrange tea for me. I became overwhelmed for the honour and hospitality they showed to me.

-He is Mr Jadeja, a successful businessman and a volunteer in this mission.  Khetan Bhai introduced me with him. I had noticed the gentleman when I entered the hospital. He was busy to converse with some others in the open place of the main entrance.

-He spares as much time as he can within his busy schedule for the work of the hospital.  Ketan  Bhai added.

When I finally asked leave for departure and thanked Ketan Bhai as he spent so long time with me, he smiled very nicely and said –“Good night. Visit once in the early morning. You will be very glad to see how nice birds gather here to have their breakfast which we keep in the jungle every day for them. You feel how nice and lovely creatures they are!”   I noticed a sign of a proud father for his offspring on his face.

I have always to carry a stick to walk. Mr Jadeja noticed it and said to me –“Please wait a bit. Let me drop you at your doorstep.” Though I requested him not to take any trouble yet he did not allow me to go alone. While we neared the main gate of the hospital he pointed to a mini truck and showed it with pride and told me that Ketan Bhai has made it ready with hydraulic system to lower down and up so that it becomes helpful to rescue the animals with the minimum movement, and told that he spends almost two lack rupees in every month for the hospital.

 While Mr.Jadeja was driving his car through the crowded road and was full of huge traffic, I suddenly remembered one thing.  In the course of our talking, Ketan Bhai told me about a bird which is a Fin Bird, not available in our country but in New Zealand. He somehow got it from someone. He said- “ I often use this particular bird to feed the baby of little birds and it does its duty faithfully.” I requested him to show me the bird. He took me to it. I became surprised when I saw it. It’s a white colour tiny bird. It is so small but what a large heart it is carrying within him! I don’t know in which word I should express its greatness–Is it HUMANITY!