For the beauty of the beast

AS animal welfare organisations take up the cause of the tiger like never before, a group of conscientious students follows suit to address the larger problem at hand

AS animal welfare organisations take up the cause of the tiger like never before, a group of conscientious students follows suit to address the larger problem at hand

Parent alert: building animal farms on Facebook isn't always a bad thing. It can often, as in this case, lead to real-life betterment. Students of DPS R K Puram, for instance, have started an animal welfare club, and are spreading awareness about cruelty and its consequences.



Called Voice Against Animal Mistreatment (VAAM), the club also invited eminent animal activist Ambika Shukla and representatives of People for the Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) to speak on the issue.
VAAM blossomed under the constant support and guidance of Sangita Bajpai, a Geography teacher in the school. They were recently awarded a Certificate of Achievement for using their voices to speak up for animals and their skills to defend them against cruelty, by PETA.

Let the dogs out
Ambika Shukla expressed her delight at being present, and instantly connected with the audience. She circulated a petition against maanja, a glass-coated thread used to fly kites, causing an alarming increase in the deaths of birds. She apprised the students on how they could help, and should have the 'courage to care' about animals, apart from busting popular myths about pedigree dogs, informing how they are genetically deformed and live in constant pain.

"I want students to adopt stray animals, especially Indian dogs, which have evolved to suit the Indian climate. I want people to turn vegetarian and give up meat. India has the strongest animal protection laws, and I urge everyone to intervene and report acts of cruelty. People should also enquire if the cosmetics and toiletries have been tested on animals and boycott them likewise," Shukla insisted.

India has 64 large zoos and 194 medium - sized zoos. About 10 percent of animals kept in these prisons die every yearu00a0-- most die well before their time.
Putting them on the tiger trail, that is.

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