Long Live PITTA

Shree Gurawe Nama:

Long Live PITTA

It was an early morning of late October. I was having my morning walk as usual. Two Saptaparni trees were blooming and I was enjoying its strong fragrance. Suddenly, on the other side of the road, a bird lying on its back, attracted my attention. I recognized, It was our friend ‘Pitta’. And I drifted into nostalgia,

One afternoon in May 2005, we found one injured Pitta in Chembur. We rescued it, treated it (under the guidance of a veterinary doctor). When the Pitta recovered, we released it in the Godrej Mangrove forest at Vikroli. All this appeared in Maharashtra Times and thus we became FAMOUS because of Pitta. Lata Aaji wrote us a letter of appreciation and we felt like we have been awarded Nobel Prize.

Then every year in May first week, we found at least one Pitta injured or dehydrated or hungry and fatigued. We treated, fed and released all of them, During winter, it migrates from North (Himalayan foothills, its homeland) to South India and migrates back from South to North in April-May. It was during this Northward journey that we found it alive every year in Chembur, when it must be stopping here for food and rest.

And now I found a Pitta in Shivsrushtee. For the first time, I found it in October (during its Southward journey). Also, it was not alive. My heart wept as we could not do anything to save it. I brought it home, carefully wrapped it in paper and airtight bag and kept in the deep freezer.

What next now? What do I do with it? An idea flashed in my mind. I remembered about a news I red few months ago, A peacock in Raj Bhawan (the residence of Governor of Maharashtra) was sick and died later. The Governor loved this bird very much. A veterinary doctor performed Taxidermy on the bird and now the bird is back there in the Raj Bhawan. Can this Pitta also be preserved like the peacock?

A few minutes of Googling and a few phone calls (thanks to modern technology), I got the contact number of Dr. Santosh Gaikwad. I talked to him and he agreed to do the needful. I handed over the Pitta. Dr. Gaikwad will perform the Taxidermy on Pitta and keep it in Taxidermy Centre at Sanjay Gandhi National Park for everyone to see. Our dear Pitta will live after death, for next 40-50 years.

Note : Taxidermy is a procedure to preserve dead animals. Taxi- means arrangement and Dermi- means pertaining to the Skin. In other words, Taxidermy means Re-arrangement of skin to preserve the animal. Dr. Santosh Gaikwad (Asso. Prof. of Veterinary Anatomy, Mumbai Veterinary College) is specially trained and experienced taxidermist. He has preserved many animals by this procedure.