Rajasthan's 'earth hero' comes to the rescue of injured animals

After quitting his CRPF job in the 1990s, Piraram Dhayal set up a garden along the National Highway near Dhamana village, which also serves as a rescue centre for injured animals like deer, rabbits, monkeys and peacocks. Till date the centre has treated over 900 animals and released them back into the wild.

Jalore (Rajasthan): At a time when man-animal conflict around the world is causing ecological imbalance, a man from Rajasthan's Jalore district is doing the noble job of treating injured animals as a step towards wildlife conservation.

Piraram Dhayal, a resident of Deora village in the district, quit his CRPF job after working for five years in the 1990s. He wanted to devote his entire time to an initiative which would enable him to work for injured animals instead.

It was in 2009 that Dhayal with the help of a few villagers planted 6,000 saplings along the National Highway near Dhamana village. Thanks to the special care provided by Dhayal, the saplings in the garden eventually grew into full-size trees.

Subsequently in 2003, Dhayal started a rescue centre for injured deer and other animals at the same Amrita Devi garden. For the past seven years, animals like deer, rabbits, monkeys, nilgais, and even peacocks, which are injured in car accidents or attacked by other wild animals, are treated at the rescue centre.

Over the past seven years, Dhayal said that he has treated more than 900 wounded deer and released them into the wild. Currently, around 50 deer remain at the garden and are being carefully looked after by Dhayal.

Dhayal said it was only due to the cooperation of the villagers, who were planning to plant seeds on the barren land, that the garden could be made. Subsequently, it was on this garden that the rescue centre was later made.

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However, the initiative faced its fair share of problems as well. Villagers complained that the land of the garden was encroached. The administration took action and gave an ultimatum to vacate the land. Following controversy, the garden along with wildlife was handed over to the authorities.

However, after taking care of the wildlife for five days, the administration handed them back. Later in 2017, the forest department took possession of the garden and appointed eight personnel to look after the animals. However, the responsibility of providing fodder and water to the animals still rests with Dhayal's organisation.

For his incredible efforts, Dhayal was awarded the 'Earth Heroes' Award in 2018 by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. Besides, Dhayal was also honoured with the Wildlife Conservation Award in 2018–19.

Though deer are extremely shy animals and generally avoid humans, the case is completely different at the rescue centre. At the mere call of Dhayal, 500 of these deer appear out of nowhere and even munch on their fodder provided from Dhayal's own hands.

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