Saviour of birds: Mukesh waiting for calls in Kochi

KOCHI: Mukesh will lose his peace of mind if he hears that birds are in danger. He will fly in to save them. Money is not an issue. He flew from Bengaluru to Kochi to save a bird that was stuck in a nylon string of a kite. Mukesh even made a device to save birds stuck in big trees. He has saved 6,000 birds in 19 years.

Mukesh Jain, 63, is a native of Kutch, Gujarat, and lives in Anavathil, Mattancherry. His father, Maghanji, came to Kochi at the age of 17 in search of work. Mukesh was born and raised in Mattancherry. He is a tea wholesaler.

Birds often die in Kutch due to lack of water during the scorching summer. Mukesh set up a system at his own expense 25 years ago to ensure drinking water for the birds in his village during the summer. He has been a bird rescuer in Kochi since 2007.

The rescue mission was initially carried out with the help of coconut tree workers. As the calls increased every day, Mukesh got more active. A 70-foot-high hoist and rescue pole were prepared at a cost of Rs. 1 lakh. Most of the rescued birds are crows, hawks, cranes, pigeons and parrots.

More birds are getting stuck in trees and other places with the advent of nylon kite strings. If someone pulls the birds down, the string will tighten, and the birds will die. The string will be broken with the help of the device on the pole, and the bird will be brought down. They will be given water and first aid and sent flying. Mukesh is married to Bhavana. Children: Dandeep, Avani.

Camel also saved

Two camels were brought to Kochi for slaughter in 2004. After the incident became controversial, the owners abandoned them. One died due to weather problems and hunger. Mukesh took the second one who was weak and took care of it. He put it in a lorry and took it to Rajasthan and released it. Mukesh's latest rescue was a cat that had become trapped in a coconut tree after being chased by a dog.

This is God's mission. The joy I get when I save them is indescribable

- Mukesh Jain