This Valentine’s Day, Send Your Love to Injured Wild Animals Who Need Food, Treatment & Care

“Jaggu the leopard cub entered our lives quietly,” recalls Kaustubh Gawande from People for Animals (PfA) Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha, one of India’s largest NGOs for animal rescue. Jaggu was found by the Washim Forest Department (Washim is a district in Maharashtra) in a battered state in November 2021. The cub had been separated from its mother and, being too young to find its way through the forest, was barely holding on in the wild. 

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When the Forest Department found Jaggu, his body was fragile, his movements minimal, and his breathing shallow. The forest staff knew that even a slight delay in treatment could prove fatal. “While our first advice to them when they called was to try to reunite the cub with its mother, after seven days of waiting, they figured the mother leopard was not going to return, and Jaggu was running out of time,” Kaustubh shares. 

When Jaggu was finally brought to PfA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha, his diagnosis was worrying, says Kaustubh — severe anaemia, mild pneumonia, dehydration, and extreme weakness. “His tiny body was fighting multiple battles at once. He was placed in intensive care, and from that moment, I knew this was not a case where we could rely only on medicine. This cub needed presence, warmth, and constant care,” he adds.  

Months of intensive nursing resulted in a transformation for Jaggu, who is one of the most loved animals at PfA, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha. He’s grown; his face still youthful, as he bounds around the centre, a living message of hope to the 30 animals currently at the shelter, that recovery is close. 

But this isn’t possible without your help. This Valentine’s Day, send love their way through a contribution that will go towards the rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation of the wild. The Better India is collaborating with People for Animals (PfA) Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha, and Donatekart to ensure these animals a second chance at life. 

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Help rescue, feed, and treat wild animals 

At PfA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha, the thrum of the outside world fades away.

Since its founding in 1999 under animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi, the centre in Maharashtra has treated and rehabilitated more than 40,000 animals. In the past year alone, 5,600 animals, including tigers, leopards, sloth bears, ungulates, and endangered birds, received critical care through its partnership with the Maharashtra Forest Department, with impact spanning western and central India. 

The animals receive top-notch care through specialised facilities at the centre, which include a digital X-ray machine, haematology analyser, and biochemistry analyser, as well as a fully functional operating theatre with advanced equipment such as an electrocautery unit, anaesthesia machine, ventilator, multiparameter monitor, and autoclave. 

They also have two dedicated wildlife ambulances, tranquilising equipment, specially designed treatment cages for large carnivores such as tigers and leopards, and well-structured large and small enclosures to support rehabilitation and recovery in a safe environment.

As Ashish Goswami, director at PfA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha, elaborates, “We also work closely with local communities and forest departments to reduce human-wildlife conflict through awareness programmes, rescue interventions, and sustainable conservation practices. This includes deploying a mobile veterinary unit for quick response.” 

But treatment and medicines can only do so much, he says. The crucial ingredient is care and kindness. 

These wild animals were forced to learn the language of survival in the jungle. At the centre, as they recuperate, they are gradually introduced to a world where fear is replaced by patience, and human presence does not mean harm. Through gentle handling, consistent routines, and compassion, trust is slowly rebuilt.

Among the many projects that PfA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha is engaged in are rewilding projects for rescued animals, GPS collaring and behavioural assessments, as well as vulture reintroduction and awareness campaigns across local communities, schools, and institutions. Ashish underscores that the foremost aim is to ensure the best possible treatment for the animal. For endangered or near-extinct species, a committee reviews the case to determine release, while the forest department decides the release location.

“If the animal in question is a tiger or leopard, then the procedures followed are according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority. If it’s a snake, we can’t keep it for too long; we need to release it within two to three days,” Ashish adds. 

You can make these rescues and rehabilitation possible by donating to this cause. 

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Ensuring a lifeline for the wild through care and nourishment

Jaggu is one plucky leopard. At five years old now, he is known for his mischief. “He plays, observes, and reminds us every day why wildlife conservation is not just about saving animals. It is about standing by life when it is most vulnerable,” says Kaustubh, who shares an “unbreakable bond” with the leopard. 

But it hasn’t been without challenges, he adds. Sleepless nights filled with worry, going the extra mile — “I shifted my base to the shelter” — and days spent simply ensuring the cub was breathing properly, summarise Kaustubh’s commitment to the cub. “I would give Jaggu his milk at regular intervals and hold him close when he would tremble. Most nights, I’d sleep beside him so that he wasn’t alone,” he adds. 

In time, Jaggu began to respond well to this care. His breathing stabilised. His appetite improved. The medicines started working. A fortnight later, his body showed signs of recovery. Kaustubh explains, “But even after Jaggu’s health picked up, we noticed that the cub never opened its eyes. We initially thought this was because of weakness, but when the veterinarian re-examined Jaggu, the diagnosis suggested that he was suffering from entropion (inward turning of the eyelid margin). This prevented him from opening his eyes.” 

A new treatment plan was put into place. 

Jaggu underwent continuous care, eye treatment, medication, and monitoring. “And then one day, something extraordinary happened. Jaggu opened his eyes. He didn’t just open them — he looked around,” shares Kaustubh, adding that the moment was celebrated across the centre. 

Help give rescued animals the love they need

The animals at PfA, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha, battle different conditions. These illnesses often strip them of freedom and the chance to survive. But by sponsoring their treatment plans and food, you can ensure that they make a quick recovery. 

PfA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha has launched a collaborative reintroduction project for injured and orphaned blackbucks, in partnership with the Bor Tiger Reserve management in Maharashtra. The centre also provides intensive care for neonates, newborn animals in their first four weeks of life, orphaned due to human–wildlife conflict, poaching, or accidents. 

Each case undergoes urgent medical assessment, stabilisation through fluid therapy, treatment for injuries or infections, and careful monitoring of warmth and hydration. Veterinary care for pangolins includes hydration therapy and the treatment of wounds.

Through these interventions, PfA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Wardha, is ensuring that animals don’t just survive, but thrive. 

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This Valentine’s Day, send love their way. Donate here.

All pictures courtesy PfA Wardha