Gaurav Jain, 33
Chartered Accountant & Bird Activist
Gaurav’s doorbell is never tired of ringing. Today it’s a couple coming in with an injured pigeon. They are directed to the hospital upstairs with instructions to the attendant to look after the bird.
“Live for others and feel the real happiness,” says the chartered accountant and animal rights activist. Getting SOS calls is a routine feature for him, and “we try to attend each one of them personally and now it’s become a passion.”
Jain turned vegan, compelled by his conscience, which convinced him that life can also be led without eating the flesh of animals and animal products.
In 2006, Jain set up his office in Indirapuram with the intention to open Sansthanam—Abhay Daanam, a bird hospital. “I was a volunteer with PETA for 10 years and realised that birds are often a neglected lot. I decided to take up their cause,” he recalls.
Jain has already established the next bird hospital in Noida. “It took time to take off since doctors were not readily available. We decided to undergo the necessary training ourselves so that we could offer injured birds the best treatment,” he explains. Jain, who has faced many challenges in rescuing birds and convincing people that keeping them caged is illegal, says he has achieved his dream of helping feathered friends in need, thanks to support from his family.
The hospitals get 10-20 calls daily on bird injuries; each one attended by him personally
or a member of his staff.
“With summer beginning, the number of birds suffering from dehydration arriving at the hospital has increased. We keep them hydrated for a few days, after which they are freed,” says Jain. He is also vocal against the use of glass manjha for kites. The thread stays entangled in rooftops and electric poles for days even after the festivals are over, injuring birds.