18 Vet Info-H • Sep–Dec 2023 • Vol 11 • No. 4 Many people know me through my recent experience of rescuing a leopard stuck in a well. But my love for wildlife is not just limited to leopards. Wildlife comprises a long list of mammals, birds, and even reptiles. Among all the rescues, treatments, and releases, a few stories hold a special place in my heart, of which, I would like to share the story of “Princess”, the Bonnet Macaque. I met Princess while I was working in a wildlife rescue center in Bengaluru (Karnataka). Deep in the heart of a concrete jungle, someone had found a creature curled up on the ground, writhing in pain. It was a monkey! Soon after, she was rescued and brought in for treatment. At first glance, I thought she was electrocuted, Dr Meghana Pemmaiah, MVSc (Wildlife Medicine and Surgery) Wildlife Veterinarian Chitte Pili Rescue Centre Mangaluru 575005, Karnataka, India E-mail: meghanapemmaiah@gmail.com The Princess Diaries An instance where her passion for wildlife fueled Dr Meghana’s courage… In a recent rescue mission in Mangaluru (Karnataka), Dr Meghana Pemmaiah volunteered to sit inside a cage and enter a 25-feet well to save a leopardess who was stuck there for 36 hours. The leopardess was growling due to starvation and dehydration. Upon spotting the leopardess cuddled in a cave-like portion of the well, Dr Meghana quickly loaded the sedative and darted her. After 15 minutes when the leopardess fell unconscious, she was shifted into the cage and lifted. The leopardess was then revived and let into the forest. which is a very common occurrence in cities due to rapid urbanization. But on thorough examination and after obtaining a proper history from locals, it was confirmed that she was a victim of a fire accident. As heart breaking as it was to look at her, we couldn’t just get carried away in that emotion. We restrained her gently; gave her pain medications, antibiotics, and fluids; and let her rest for a few hours. Once she seemed stable, we got to the more difficult and painful part of the procedure—wound care. This included slow debridement of the wounds and application of medication all over the body. Unfortunately, this was not a one-time thing. We had to do this on a daily basis. Initially, she would resist and try to attack with all that she had, not knowing what was happening around. But slowly, we gained her trust. In a few days, she stopped resisting the treatment, but she never lost her wild attitude. Once in a while, she would let us know in her own way that she is still a wild animal, and that we shouldn’t let our guard down. After a painful fortnight, she regained her strength and began to recover well. We then slowly Dr Meghana Pemmaiah Treating Princess Winner!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAwNDg=