Dr Shirish Jani (name changed) is a foster parent from Surat in Gujarat. But what makes his act of parenting unusual is that he cares for no human kids but 25 abandoned turtles that were once living as pets in different homes.
Dr. Jani is a medical practitioner and because his choice of profession comes with the permanent responsibility of saving lives, the medical man has taken a step forward and opened his home and heart for those turtles that are abandoned by people who once brought them home as pets.
According to different NGOs, the case of the turtles is strange in India. Many people buy them from pet shops, the most common variety being the one known as Singapore turtles or Red eared slider.
As babies these turtles are coin sized and fit perfectly into the small apartment aquarium. But as they grow older the turtles increase at least 5 folds in size and require a much larger space to swim freely. Additionally their claws get sharper and because turtles need frequent air breaks, they must have a resting place above the water.
Not willing to take care of the turtles growing needs, many homeowners wish to get rid of their pets and that is when the foster parents come into picture.
According to the figures available 10 to 12 calls of abandoned turtles and three to four of help are received by the different NGOs every month.
“We bring these creatures and try to rehabilitate them in their natural habitat. Otherwise we take them to foster homes where they are adopted,” said Darshan Desai of Prayas, an NGO working for environment and animal protection.
Dr. Jani has three such foster homes running in Surat. He says that many times when he receives a turtle it is sick and under fed. He provides them with special diet comprising of marine vegetation, fungus and marine insects.
“Many people buy these reptiles for children’s entertainment or vastushastra. But as the turtles grow up they want to get rid of them by either abandoning them or handing them over to NGOs who bring them to me,” said Dr Jani.
As per the Wildlife Protection Act of India, keeping turtles as pets is banned in the country. Still, the pets are brought from Singapore and other South Asian countries and sold in pet shops. Shockingly only 20 percent of the turtles brought from the foreign locales survive the journey.
” The problem is people don’t know how to treat this animal. There is no awareness .Our people are doing this work along with saving this endangered species,” he said.
In the last three years about 150 turtles were saved and rehabilitated while 70 were rescued and adopted by Prayas.
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