State
Meet Kashmir’s own Bear Grylls who loves to rescue wild animals
Every time, there is a scare of wild animals in the localities of Budgam, Muhammad Shafi Bhat is the first person to be called by the people living in the district.
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Not only does he rescue the wild animal, Bhat also takes care that the animal is taken back to its natural habitat.
From ferocious leopards to venomous snakes and Himalayan bears, Bhat has volunteered to rescue hundreds of animals in Budgam district.
“Rescuing wild animals is my passion. They are as innocent as we humans are. I get distress calls every time and then my rescue mission starts,” he told news agency—KNO.
Bhat who worked as an electrician before is now a famous animal rescuer of Kashmir. He learned this skill out of curiosity and passion to explore the wildlife of Kashmir.
“I was working as an electrician. One day a leopard entered a locality and I played an important role in capturing the animal. That incident was a kind of trigger that I could rescue animals. Now it has become a passion to capture wild animals and release them in jungles,” he said.
Later, Bhat changed his career and began working as a helper for the wildlife department. “I used to work as an artisan in addition to being an electrician. I’m now more interested in nature. I want to continue my interest,” he said.
In the last few years, Bhat said he saved the lives of many wild animals including leopards, black bears, snakes and porcupines.
“Till now, I might have rescued and saved the lives of almost 22 leopards. I also rescued black bears, snakes and other ferocious animals. It is a life risking job but once a person gets to know the animals’ behaviour, it becomes easy to deal with animals,” he said.
Bhat is simultaneously raising awareness about conserving wildlife through his social media handles.
“I am running a Facebook page called Wild Frame. I record a video of animal rescue and then do a commentary about the techniques used to save the animals. I also appeal to my viewers not to be cruel with animals,” he said.
Bhat, who works as a helper in the wildlife department said he desires to start a NGO which deals with the rescuing of wild animals and awareness regarding wildlife.
“I haven’t started the process yet but someday I will start an NGO in which people collectively work to conserve wildlife,” he said.
Aamir Hussain Lone, a resilient armless cricketer from Waghama village of Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, graced the stage of the popular singing reality show “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” in Mumbai, leaving a lasting impression on the audience and judges alike, with his remarkable journey as a cricketer.
He received a special invitation from Anu Malik to attend a “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” episode. Accompanied by his father, Aamir expressed immense happiness at sharing the stage with renowned Indian stars such as Anu Malik, Vicky Kaushal, Himesh Reshammiya and others.
While sharing his tragic story on the show, Lone recalled that when he was eight years old, his mother asked him to deliver meals to his brother at their family-owned sawmill. “The sawmill was left operational as my family and other workers had lunch. My jacket got caught in the machinery, which resulted in me being armless,” he said.
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After the tragic incident, Lone’s father, Bashir Ahmad Lone, disposed of the sawmill. Despite his personal tragedy, Lone harboured a deep love for cricket. After completing his first year at Government Degree College Bijbehara, Anantnag, a teacher recognised his cricketing talent and guided him towards para cricket.
“During my childhood, I aspired to be a cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar, with dreams of representing my country. However, the tragic incident shattered my dreams. Yet, my grandmother urged me not to lose hope,” Aamir said, adding that one day, he asked his grandmother to roll a ball towards him, and a smile lit up her face. “Wherever she dropped the ball, I moved to hit it. With time, I learned and perfected the techniques of cricket.”
Once he joined college, a para cricketer’s camp was underway, providing him with an opportunity to play for the para cricket team. “During my turn to bat, I scored 30 runs. This accomplishment led to my selection as the captain of the Jammu and Kashmir para cricket team,” Lone said. “In 2015, I played at Wankhede Stadium for my second national appearance, and by 2017, I had the honour of representing my country in Para International Cricket in Bangladesh.”
After hearing Lone’s story on the “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” show, Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal expressed that he had resolved the biggest problem for him. The actor said he would feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to portray Aamir’s life in a movie.
“I am glad I met Aamir Bhai today. The term ‘Bahadur’ isn’t thrown around casually, but it truly fits him. He’s a true hero, and I salute his bravery,” Vicky shared.
Lone attributed his success to his grandmother, who “played an important role in my achievements”. “Until my Grandmother’s demise, she dedicated her whole life to me. After that, I had to adapt, managing tasks independently with my feet and chin,” Aamir said.
A man drowned to death in river Jhelum while extracting sand in Kakapora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district this morning.
Reports said that a group of three men were extracting sand from river Jhelum, and the boat capsized suddenly in Kakapora.
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They said two persons were rescued on time. However, Showkat Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Lelhara Kakapora, died.
Meanwhile, police have taken cognizance of the incident.
Sopore police have cracked a murder case within hours after a man was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Zaloora area of Sopore this morning.
Reports said that the man identified Riyaz Ahmad Mir (50), son of Abdul Aziz Mir, a resident of Zaloora village in Sopore, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his native village this morning.
They said, after the incident, Sopore police registered a case in this regard, started investigations and, within hours, have cracked the mysterious murder case and have arrested the accused persons.
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An official confirmed that the mysterious murder case has been cracked, and further details will be shared in the press conference tomorrow.
Armless cricketer from Anantnag inspires nation on ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ stage
Man drowns to death while extracting sand in Pulwama
Sopore police crack mysterious murder case within hours in Zaloora
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