People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has sent a heartfelt plea to IFS and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Uttar Pradesh Mamta Sanjeev Dubey, requesting her to immediately release and rehabilitate the seized sarus (crane) from Kanpur Zoo back to the bird’s locality and natural habitat.

In the appeal issued on Wednesday, PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Saloni Sakaria wrote, “A zoo, where even animals who have known no other life become neurotic and depressed from their imprisonment, is simply no place for a wild bird who has only expressed gratitude to the person who saved the bird’s life. There is law and procedure and then there is humanity, and while we agree with the Uttar Pradesh government that the correct procedure would have been to contact forest officials about the hurt bird, in this case, farmer Mohammad Arif did what he thought was best – nurture the injured bird back to life. It is this good deed that the crane is unable to forget.”

The letter states, “Arif has insisted the crane, upon recovery, would come and go as per the crane’s will and that the crane would fly into the jungle and then fly back. Surely, we cannot punish the bird for falling in love? And certainly, an exception might be made for Mr Arif who clearly loves the bird, too, by counselling him on what to do if he comes across hurt wildlife again instead of booking him under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972? After all, he did protect wildlife.”

Sakaria concluded the letter with the plea: “The crane has been healthy and perfectly well in Mr Arif’s locality for at least a year. There is no reason to believe the bird is in any real danger. We urge you to release the bird back to Mr Arif’s area and simply work with him on how to help the crane thrive better in nature.”

The PETA’s plea came after Samsjwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, along with Arif, visited Kanpoor zoo on Tuesday where the crane is under isolation.

UP Forest Department had also registered a case against Arif for detention of the crane, which is also the state bird.

The crane was seized from Arif early this month from his Gauriganj residence in Amethi district.