Little did Mohammad Arif realise that an injured Sarus Crane he had treated with mustard oil paste and a splint in February of last year would create such a bond that once separated it would refuse to eat, and when reunited it would dance in joy.
And ever since this unusual pair met, it has been one roller coaster ride.
The farmer and his bird friend had since been not only separated but Arif also faced charges of violating numerous provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. And all that just because he tried to save wildlife while unintentionally gaining its trust forever.
The bird wasn’t caged, restrained, or hidden away by Arif after he tended to its wounds. Despite being left in the open, it never flew away, according to the media.
“It would stay in the jungle when it wanted. Then, in the evenings it would come to my house and eat with me. I never held it captive,” Arif had told the press.
When with Arif, the bird was seen freely flying behind his bike, roaming around the skies, and eating food sitting beside him. The uncanny bond had won a million hearts then.
After it was taken away from Arif, the bird struggled to survive in the wild. The Sarus Crane eventually had to be captured and put in the Kanpur Zoo. Arif meanwhile was detained under Sections 2, 9, 29, 51, and 52 of the amended Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
The bird has been refusing to eat. Arif had proposed showing the bird his picture and giving it dal-chawal, and other home-cooked food.
A viral video now shows a heart warming moment as the bird reunites with its good samaritan. When Md. Arif was allowed to see the sarus crane in captivity from a distance, the bird was seen dancing around in joy, flapping its long wings inside the locked cage, trying to spread its wings to fly out to its saviour.
Their excitement and happiness is so palpable and profound that it has once again created a stir with many bureaucrats suggesting special measure for exceptional cases.
Watch the video posted by Retired IAS officer Surya Pratap Singh-
Numerous people have taken to Twitter to express their support for Md. Arif. People are appealing for an exception to be made in this case as the friendship between the human and the bird… is a bond beyond words.
Netizens hope it all turns in favour of Md. Arif and his beautiful Sarus Crane so they could happily live together.
