On A Wing And A Prayer

Published in The Times of India, March 16, 2007

A little birdy told us that there’s a safe haven for all winged denizens, right in the heart of the city—the Charity Bird Hospital

AMIN ALI


Chandni Chowk is full of interesting places. One just needs an eye to spot them. Now who could imagine a fully functional, three-storeyed bird hospital in the heart of the city?
As you cross the Red Fort, the ancient Jain temple across the road is just any other heritage building to marvel at. But do you know that it houses the Charity Bird Hospital? And has done so for 77 years!
Take off your shoes, enter the temple and the world changes. From the maddening din on the streets to the silence in the temple, occasionally punctured by pigeons or peacocks. Follow your ear and be led towards the sounds that can be music to the ears. We did too, taking the stairs up to the bird hospital.

FEATHER IN THE CAP

The reception, which doubles as an OPD or outpatient department, is a small room with two tables, one for the superintendent, one for the vet. Mr Pankaj Jain, the superintendent, welcomed us warmly and explained the hospital’s history. He also listed various eminent personalities whose active involvement has ensured that the place has survived for so long without having to charge its feathered patients.
The vet, Dr Vijay Kumar, is available from 8 am to 4 pm everyday. In his stint at the hospital, he has even nursed some birds that were injured so badly that their bones were visible through their plumage.
My mind was constantly attracted by the bird’s voices coming from the ward. The first cabin—not cage—had pigeons recovering either from fractures or the common cold. For most of us, pigeons may be just another wild species, sort of grey, but in the hospital I realised that they too come in all colours.
Some had bandaged wings—not a pretty sight—but it was nice to know that someone cared for them. And cared well. The birds are given a substantial diet of sorghum, millet and corn. Fans and exhausts have been encased in metal grills to prevent birds from injuring themselves if they happen to fly to close to these. Fountains in the rooms function in the summer to keep the place cool.

WIND BENEATH THE WINGS

“The word ‘cabin’ differentiates us from zoos,” says Pankaj. He adds that birds are treated free of cost and released when they have fully recovered! They don’t intend to hold the birds captive.
The next cabin had two peacocks with fractured legs. They had been recuperating there for some months, enjoying meals full of fruits. They will be released in Shanti Van forest. In the next enclosure was a special species of pigeons, popular as Laqa. These birds have a smaller wingspan than other pigeons and cannot fly higher altitudes or longer distances. So, they are usually domesticated. Across these, in larger cabins, are smaller ‘personal rooms’ for recently admitted birds. The munias looked ill, not at all their usual chirpy selves.
A little red bird had a massive white bandage around its neck, to help heal wounds caused by sharp kite thread. Several birds were pecking away at the fruit salad trays. At any given time, the hospital has close to 2,500 birds under treatment.

FEELING CHIRPIER

With so many birds around, there was bound to be a whole lot of chirping but I wanted to know where the loudest of it was coming from, if all the birds were unwell… I was informed that the third floor had a general ward, for birds that had more or less recovered to rest and recuperate.
We reached the third floor, indeed quite abuzz with activity. If ever there were a better example of a before/after ad campaign, this was it. The birds looked in the pink of health, fluttering about in their spacious enclosures. Garrulous parrots, pigeons, sparrows mingled and made music. To think that these birds had come to the hospital in various stages of sickness and injury, some near death, silent and very subdued… When they recover, the birds are released in a group to cushion the shock of exiting the hospital’s protected environment and having to fend for themselves in the open.
In 2006 alone, the hospital cured over 25,000 birds, giving them a new lease of life… and wind beneath their wings.

FACT FILE

The Charity Bird Hospital was established in 1929 by the late Lachhumal Jain Gotewale. It is situated in the Digambar Jain temple complex, opposite Red Fort. A charity institute, it treats birds free of cost. Visitors can contribute in cash or kind (bird food, medicines, fans, etc.) The hospital admits injured birds 24/7. When they recover, they are released, not returned to whoever brought them in. Those who wish to get pet birds treated can take them back. The OPD timings are 10 am till noon, daily. Carnivorous birds like owls, eagles and kites are given first aid and handed over to the bird hospital in Defence Colony.