It's just in their nature

How far would you go to save an animal? These wildlife rescuers braved claws, fangs, and furious crowds. Here are the missions they'll never forget

- Taranna Khetpal

By all means, add 200 panda Reels to your Insta Blend. Pet every kitty that lets you. Foster a pup and fall in love. Make friends with the neighbour's turtle, even. But don't for a moment believe that showing up for animals is fun or glamorous.

Regular folks are making it their business to protect species that most Indians want to attack on sight. Some spend a whole day coaxing a snake out of a stairwell, others have convinced panicked villagers to spare the life of a monitor lizard. Here are the rescues they'll never forget.

The owl who got a second chance

Aakash Vimal (@Wildly_Indian_Official)

In the decade that he's been rescuing owls and vultures in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Vimal has found that humans are a greater threat to animals than the other way around. Humans in small towns are particularly dangerous - they compete with wildlife for space and resources, and they prefer superstition to conservation.

In May, Vimal, 30, was called to Seemapuri, in northeast Delhi. A rickshaw driver had just sold someone a barn owl for ₹5,000. It was about to be sacrificed in a black-magic ritual. Vimal got there in time to prevent the killing, but his problems had only just begun. The owl had been force-fed alcohol, “so the bird cannot fight back”. Vimal spent the next few days stabilising the bird with electrolytes and food, before it was well enough to fly.