Meet Prince Mehra, Chandigarh’s ‘bird doctor’ on wheels

Mehra recalls the day he saw a woman sweeping a dead pigeon and put it inside a dustbin. She told Mehra that the bird died of electrocution from power line. “Disposing of dead animals and birds into dustbins not only spreads stink, but also disease. So I told the woman how to bury a bird. Thus I began the journey of educating people on how to bury birds, and I realised that so many birds can be saved with just a little effort,” shares Mehra, who carries sprays, bandages etc to treat injured birds.

In 2016, Mehra was offered a job as an animal attendant in the Animal Husbandry Department of Chandigarh Union Territory, and his work involves taking stray animals to hospitals. While on duty, he carries the birds in that ambulance as well and when he is not on duty he attends to calls of people who spot injured birds and also guides them on what to feed the birds and how to help them heal.

“I also guide them to a dispensary. If the bird is dead, then it needs to be buried in a two-foot hole. I manage small wounds, and if it’s something major, then I get the birds admitted to the animal husbandry hospital. I have all the supplies in the scooter, and I also treat them at home. It gives me great satisfaction to help the wounded birds who cannot express their pain in words,” says Mehra who adds that bird accidents are more during summer as they get sometimes get stuck in fans and transformers.

“In June and July, I give water bowls for free to people. I place water bowls wherever there are a lot of birds, and sometimes I treat the birds at home,” adds Mehra, who treats mainly crows and pigeons, and the rest of the birds go to the Bird Park in Chandigarh.

Till now, Mehra has freed almost 1,170 birds.

Mehra says there has been a decrease in the number of birds over the years, with a bird called Garhaiya not seen anymore. “Pollution, plastic, and change in weather have caused the decline. I have done campaigns against keeping birds in cages. I remember treating a parrot that was injured at home, and I made it fly away. Two days later, it came back to the house. There was also a migratory pair of birds and then they also came back,” beams Mehra who recalls it to be an overwhelming feeling.

Mehra wants school students to be made aware of feeding birds, and treating an injured bird. “Now there is so much information on the internet that can be used. Sometimes people offer me money, but I always tell them that it’s ‘seva’ (service) and I don’t want it to be a business and everything I get for the birds is from my salary. I will continue this work as long as I live,” smiles Mehra, who is happy that several people now keep water for birds at their homes and parks.