Chithira Vijayakumar was even pelted with stones while she was feeding animals on the road by random onlookers who couldn’t seem to grasp the idea that animals too need to be taken care of.
But Chithira never gave up on her beloved strays. Along with some likeminded friends she has been feeding strays, for they too need special care during the lockdown. The group of animal lovers feeds around 1,000 animals per day in various parts of Thiruvananthapuram.
“It could be the apparent impact of a lockdown on human beings, but people are now telling us to feed animals in the shade,” Chithira tells TNM.
The group buys rice and chicken and cooks it for the animals before going to at least 15 distant places daily to feed animals. They also buy and take pet food with them. The group has procured a special pass for commuting and travel in their own vehicles.
Many animals and birds have lost their feeding spots, such as markets and public places, owing to the lockdown.
“Prior to the lockdown we used to feed 300 animals a day. Now that number has become around 1,000 per day. In the initial days the number was less, but it gradually increased as more animals came with the regulars to the usual spot where we bring food,” Chithira says smiling.
The group uses a space provided by People for Animals (PFA) for cooking the food.
PFA volunteers feeding animals in Thiruvananthapuram
Meanwhile volunteers from PFA and the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) are also feeding animals. They feed nearly 300 animals in Thiruvananthapuram in a day.
“There are 10-15 volunteers. Each one covers specific areas every day and ensures that the food we have prepared for the day is fully given to animals. If there is any food left over, we make sure we feed it to animals in some other area. We also go to those places from where we get calls,” Paravathy Mohan, Thiruvananthapuram coordinator of FIAPO, tells TNM.
In Kochi, the good samaritans who look after stray animals include volunteers from Oneness, a non-governmental organisation (NGO). They began long back, right from when the Janata Curfew on March 22 was announced. “We haven’t stopped since the curfew. We had to get police permission as we were blocked by them in the beginning,” Shibin Mathew, a Oneness volunteer, tells TNM.
Twenty-two volunteers from the NGO feed animals in Kochi in localities like Kangarappady, Kakkanad, Edappally, Vytilla and Kalamassery, as well as in the outskirts in areas such as Pookkattupadi and Aluva, located around 18 km from the city. They feed 800 to 1,500 animals a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The volunteers carry milk and biscuits, apart from rice, fish and chicken.
In Kannur, a few volunteers under the NGO Paw are on the same mission.
“Volunteers are few in number here, but we venture out to various places carrying food for strays. We aren’t able to step out every day, so mostly we feed animals in the areas near our houses,” Dr Sushma Prabhu, a volunteer, tells TNM.
Police at the city railway station, apartment security guards and others show the volunteers animals that are starving. “Not that everyone is happy with the idea, but there are people who make our job easier. We also get calls from youngsters who want to help,” Dr Sushma says.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, during one of his routine press meets on COVID-19 updates, talked about street dogs. Local bodies shouldn’t forget to feed street dogs, temple administrators shouldn’t forget monkeys that live in certain temples and sacred groves, the CM said.
The monkeys at the Sasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple located in the outskirts of Kollam are fed by the temple administrative committee. The temple has earned fame for housing monkeys for years together. There are currently around 100 monkeys housed in the temple premises.
Monkeys at Sasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, PC: Mathrubhumi
“Usually they would be fed the padachoru, the rice that is cooked in the temple, and the same is being done during the days of lockdown as well. On normal days the monkeys would also get fruits and other eatables from devotees,” Prasannan, a local resident of Sasthamcotta, tells TNM.
However, he is not sure how the monkeys that live in the market nearby will survive; they stay at different places and are not easy to trace all the time.
It’s the responsibility of the respective Devaswom Boards to feed the animals and birds housed in the temples under them.
In the famous Sree Krishna temple in Guruvayur in Thrissur district, there are around 50 elephants housed in the anakotta (elephant stables) and 130 cows in the three goshalas (cowsheds).
“The Guruvayur Devaswom Board feeds the elephants as well as the cows. There is no shortage of food for the animals,” Sasidharan, Deputy Administrator of the Anakotta, tells TNM.
The Devaswom Board is also feeding the pigeons in and around the temple premises now. Earlier the birds were fed by the shopkeepers near the temple, but the shops are all closed now.
The Chief Minister had also said that the availability of panampatta (palmyra leaf), a major food source for elephants, should be ensured.