16 Ft Python Caught! Not Just ‘Stray Animal Carer’, Rajani Shetty is also ‘Stray Animal Catcher’?

16 Ft Python Caught! Not Just ‘Stray Animal Carer’, Rajani Shetty is also ‘Stray Animal Catcher’?

Mangaluru: She is a Good Samaritan to hundreds of City’s Stray dogs, where she along with her husband goes around a few places in town late at night, feeding rice mixed with chicken pieces. While humans have been finding myriad ways to deal with the lock down, stray animals have ended up becoming an unforeseen casualty of the lock down. Thousands of stray dogs in our city depend on daily markets, restaurants and local good Samaritans who feed strays. But with coronavirus sending people into isolation and public establishments shutting down, strays have a hard time finding food. These strays are starving with no one serving them, since restaurants and other eateries are closed. But sadly,

And when such is the present situation in Mangaluru, it would be a good gesture from Mangaloreans to feed as many strays as possible in their areas and whenever possible to help the animals survive. And you should know that Street dogs, cows, and birds can neither get nor give coronavirus to humans. However, in the event of a lock down, if they are not fed, many will die, creating another kind of a problem. There should be many animal lovers in Mangaluru, and therefore, it is the need of the hour that at least you all come forward and feed these hungry four-legged, and also the beggars, if you come across. Looking at these stray dogs, they look weak, with sad faces and eyes- but they have been totally neglected by the Govt veterinary dept or by the district administration.

Just like we humans need our daily essentials, the district administration should allot times for designated workers or volunteers to provide food and water to strays since it is also an “essential service”. And one such good human being having love and concern towards stray dogs is Mrs Rajani Damodar Shetty, who daily feeds 400 plus dogs, day and night- which is something that needs to be appreciated by all. ( Ref: With all this Prolonged Lock Down, Beggars & Stray Dogs in City will NOT Die of Covid-19 but of Starvation? ) (Ref: Website Impact! Citizens Help Ms Rajani Shetty in her efforts to FEED Stray Dogs during Lockdown) (Ref: When No One Cares for Them, Ms Rajani Shetty Feeds Hundreds of Stray Dogs Daily during Lock Down). No doubt, Ms Rajani Damodar Shetty, aged 40, is a TRUE Animal Lover, who finds the company of dogs much more endearing and comforting than the company of fellow human beings.

With all the publicity given to her efforts in caring for the stray dogs, in print and electronic media (Mangalorean.com), MLA Vedavyas Kamath few minutes ago had called Rajani and has assured that he will supply her 200 kgs of rice every month, to be used for feeding the stray- and through Mangalorean.com she has expressed her sincere gratitude to the MLA for his kind gesture, and also to Team Mangalorean for making her known to the public, the good work she does. Not only does she feed all these four-legged furry strays, she is ever ready when someone calls her to rescue an animal or catch a wild reptile which has crawled in their area. Recalling her daring efforts in rescuing a stray dog fallen into well, did receive wide applauds from near and far- and Team Mangalorean had covered her daring feat in rescuing a stray dog (Ref: Puppy Love! Daring Animal Lover Ms Rajani Shetty Rescues a Stray Dog Fallen into a City Well )

Taking care of these furry friends isn’t new to her, since she has been a Good Samaritan to stray animals for over a decade- and also rescuing animals or catching reptiles is also not new to her. In the past, she has caught many snakes/pythons, and has released them in the woods, far from residential areas. Adding to her credit in catching wild reptiles, here is yet another daring act of hers in catching a 16 feet python, in the Chilimbi/Urwa vicinity. Narrating her daring act to Team Mangalorean, Rajani said, “During the wee hours of 1.30 am on Wednesday 22 July, I received a phone call from Udaya Poojary, a resident from Chilimbi/Urwa area that he has spotted a python crawling in the bushes, and requested me to come and catch it”.

“Without any hesitation and not wasting time, me along with my husband (Damodar Shetty) rode to the spot where the python was hiding behind the bushes. I was a bit scared in the beginning looking at the size of the Python, but without making a second thought, I went and caught hold of the python, with the help of my husband. The python was so heavy, I had a tough time lifting it, and it was trying to wrap itself around my body. Putting the python in a gunny bag, me and husband rode all the way to Ullal, and released the python in the wild bushes surrounded by water, and far away from the residential area. Even though it was too early in the morning, the residents of Malaraya Sthana near Chilimbi/Urwa had woken up during our rescue efforts, and thanked me for catching this reptile, since the area had many children and small pet animals. It made me proud that I did a community service” added Rajani.

Speaking about her work she does, Ms Rajani said “Just like us, human beings these animals also have lives and they also need to live like we do. When they need someone to love and pet them, we should help out. I feel happy when I save animals, including snakes and other reptiles who are on the verge of dying, that I gave them a new lease of life. Till I am alive, nothing will happen to these stray ones, and I won’t let” she said with the proud air of a matriarch. Ms Rajani has also pledged her organs so save other human lives, after her death-and her children are also planning to follow their “Organ Donor” mother’s footsteps. Her daughter Swetha says that she also feels proud as to what her mother does for stray animals, and someday she too may be like her Mother- a Good Saviour to these neglected animals.

If anyone of our readers would like to help financially or with pet products,and the present expenses she is bearing in feeding more stray dogs during this Covid-19 lock down time, you can contact Ms Rajani Damodar Shetty at 8904563331, 8904563332 or visit her house located in “Doddahithlu”, Ballalbagh, Mangaluru. Please help her save the dying strays during this pandemic lockdown.