Prosthetics for peacocks, electro acupuncture for snakes and implants for the de-feathered may seem far-fetched, but are all in a day’s work for the good folk at Bengaluru’s People For Animals Wildlife Hospital (PfA).
PfA has been working behind the scenes in Bengaluru for the past 30 years, quietly rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing, furred and feathered friends in need of medical attention. Col. Navaz Shariff (retd), PfA’s general manager and chief wildlife veterinarian, talks about their rescue of a seven-month-old leopard cub hit by a bike.
With experience comes practical knowledge that may not always be found in the guidebooks. Though the cub sustained a head injury, it was not fatal and he soon recovered under PfA’s care. Protocol dictates rescued leopard cubs have to be handed to the Bannerghatta Biological Park.
Navaz feeds a leopard cub at PfA
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“But, we had seen the mother and her cubs in that area before so we tried to reunite them. After consulting with the chief wildlife warden we recorded the cub’s sounds and spread his urine in areas frequented by the mother. Though we played the cub’s soundbites over loudspeaker in those areas, she didn’t show up. But since the cub was healthy we released him into the forest and soon found out he was back with his mother and sibling.”
Over the years, PfA has developed an aquatic rescue team with a motorised boat; with a four-wheeler equipped with medical supplies and a vet assigned to duty daily, the team is ready to take up rescue operations on all manner of terrain.
Another feather in their hat
Navaz patiently explains the science of imping or feather implantation. “Birds caught in manja or plastic webbing flap their wings frantically, making their situation worse and they lose a lot of feathers in the struggle.”
“We put up boards in Kannada and English around Vijaynagar with boxes attached below, telling passersby to deposit feathers they find. Volunteers bring these to us on a weekly basis; we vacuum clean and store them. Today, we have the feathers of around 32 species including common ones such as peahens and peacocks, owls and parakeets,” he says, adding this might be the only feather bank in the country.
“We make a receptacle for the donor feather and using surgical glue we implant it. Each operation takes about two to three hours, and is quite painstaking,” he continues.
The team surgically implants the primary, secondary, and tail feathers. After a series of test flights, the bird can be released into the wild. Over time, as the bird regains its strength and new, healthy feathers appear, the implanted ones shed naturally.
Peacock with prosthetic limb
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Special Arrangement
Paralysis is another issue plaguing a few birds, especially peacocks. “They perch on live wires and are severely shocked by high voltage currents, losing the use of their limbs as a result,” says Navaz. “We used 3D printing to create prosthetic limbs and fit them on these birds. They adapt to them in a few weeks.”
Sadly, these birds cannot be released into the wild but have enough mobility to fend for themselves. Navaz who believes this procedure too, could be the first of its kind in India, says these birds need to be adopted as they require regular monitoring. The team used the same technique to fit a pony in Mysore with a prosthetic limb.
News of the success of this procedure has spread and Navaz says a lady from Romania has requested a prostheticlimb for her calf. “She has sent us the dimensions and we are creating an adjustable limb, keeping in mind future growth of the animal.”
Unfortunately, though the team sees a lot of macaques suffering from gangrene and the loss of limbs due to electrocution, the process has been unsuccessful in monkeys.
Slither hither
PfA has rescued as many as 8,000 spectacled cobras that were displaced due to rampant urbanisation. Needless to say, the ancedotes abound. Navaz talks about a snake that was badly injured when caught in a JCB. “Its injuries were extensive and needed surgery to the aesophagus and trachea. We called him Scarface.”
Snake resue underway
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Special Arrangement
Caring for Scarface and others of his kind got the team thinking about their survival once they were back in the wild. “I have written to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for permission to attach transmitters to these snakes so we can follow up on their healing. We are waiting to hear back from them.”
Snakes usually suffer from broken spines when they are attacked and these take around 45 days or more to set, says Navaz. Conventional methods to restore sensation included UV lights and hot water baths. “Now, to speed up the process. we use advanced physio laser and electro acupuncture.”
Navaz was encouraged to use electro acupuncture after seeing favourable results in dogs showing 35-40% speedy recovery; today PfA extensively uses this techinique to treat snakes and monkeys.
Action satisfaction
PfA conducts awareness programs and workshops in schools and residential associations to bring about ecological awareness and educate people on how to deal with snakes and other wildlife that may stray into their homes.
As a non-profit, PfA relies on contributions and over the years has built a state-of-the-art operation theatre complete with ultrasonograph, digital X-ray and ventilator. The staff comprises around 30 people with eight rescuers, two rescue coordinators and four veterinarian rehabilitators, among others.
Since the planet never sleeps, the team works long hours, “starting at about 8.30 in the morning and going up to 11.30 at the night on most days.”
PfA has been recognised by the Central Zoo Authority of India as one of the rare conservation centres in the country; they also won the Best Wildlife Conservation Organization at the Wildlife Tourism Conclave and Awards India in 2024, and Green NGO of the Year by Olive Crown Awards in 2022, among a host of other accolades.
More details on www.pfawildlifehospital.org
Published – August 14, 2026 10:54 am IST
