There’s a wonderful family in India who has opened up their home in order to help wild animals that are being hunted in the region.

The commendable Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte, along with their children, have actually setup an asylum in the courtyard at their house, where some animals can be safe!

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Dr. Prakash Amte with the animals of Animal Ark (source: thebetterindia.com)

It all began one day in the early 1970s when Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife, Dr. Mandakini Amte were taking a walk through the forests of Maharashtra.

They came across a local tribe returning from a hunt and carrying a dead monkey.  Moreover, the couple noticed that a baby monkey, which was still alive, was clinging to her dead parent, attempting to suckle her breast.

The sight was seriously heartbreaking for the good doctors.

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Living the Jungle Book – Dr.Prakash Amte’s son, Aniket, and grandson, Arnav.

In fact, Dr. Prakash was so shocked and concerned that he questioned the tribe, “What will you do with the dead monkey?”

No answer was really needed; as the purpose of hunting was for food, not sport. “What about the baby monkey?” he asked. “We will eat it, too.” they replied.

For the Madia-Gond tribal community, hunting was certainly not recreational, because this is how they survived.

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“I remember how we, the children of the village, and the animals would walk together to the river for a bath. We grew up with no fear of animals”, Prakash recalled.

During the encounter, Dr. Prakash politely requested that they give him the baby monkey in return for rice and clothing. Though reluctantly, they agreed, and he then became the first ‘wild’ member of the family.

Dr. Prakash named it Babli, in honor of the tribal god worshipped by the Madias.

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Dr. Prakash Amte and Dr. Mandakini Amte – Providing medical services to the tribal people since 1973.

Following this chance encounter that forever changed the course of the Amte family’s life, Dr. Prakash further persuaded the Madias not to kill minors of the animal kingdom.

According to their new agreement, the tribe would instead bring orphaned and injured animals to his home in exchange for food and clothes.

One by one, a wild assortment of animals started arriving at the asylum, from jackals and leopards, to sloth bears and crocodiles.

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The wonderful family helping wild animals from being hurted.

At one time, there were as many as 300 animals in the shelter. However, today the ‘ark’ is home to around 90 various species. The amount of animals regularly brought to the Amte home has reduced substantially in recent years because the Madias now hunt less.

Yes, much has changed for the better over the last four decades while Dr. Prakash and Dr. Mandakini have been working in the region.

No one would have ever imagined that Babli would be the first resident of what has now come to be called The Amte Animal Ark.

Thanks to Dr. Prakash and his family’s endless efforts, conditions have greatly improved for animals and many others in the area. All because they graciously opened up their hearts and their home!

Do you love the family and yes, the animals? I’m sure you do. So feel free to share it to spread love around.

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