Indore, India
In an effort to make Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city free of beggars, the district authorities have said on Monday, December 16, that FIR will registered against those who give alms from January 1, 2025.
District collector Ashish Singh told reporters that the administration has already issued an order to ban begging in Indore, according to news agency PTI.
“Our awareness campaign against begging will go on in the city till the end of this month (December). If any person is found giving alms from January 1, a First Information Report (FIR) will be registered against him/her,” he said.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/three-hindu-idols-found-in-sambhals-newly-uncovered-shiv-hanuman-temple-784428">Three Hindu idols found in Sambhal’s newly uncovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple</a>
Singh also urged residents to not give alms to beggars, saying, “I appeal to all residents of Indore not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people.” 
In recent months, the administration has exposed different organised gangs who make people beg. Singh also said that many people who were involved in the act of begging have been rehabilitated.
<h2>Initiative against begging</h2>
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a pilot project aimed at making 10 Indian cities beggar-free, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, and Ahmedabad.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bengaluru-techie-suicide-how-one-phone-call-helped-police-track-down-nikita-singhania-784417">Bengaluru techie suicide: How one phone call helped police track down estranged wife Nikita Singhania</a>
The scheme, which will be implemented through state governments, local bodies, and other organisations, aims to provide various services to those engaged in begging. This includes awareness generation, identification, rehabilitation, counselling, medical facilities, education, skill development, and sustainable settlement.
Search and rescue operations for beggars in the city have been carried out by the Indore administration for their rehabilitation. Earlier in September, 12 beggars were rescued from Khajrana Temple Square, according to reports. In another incident, 10 beggars and 4 children were rescued from the Annapurna Temple area in Indore city. In addition, authorities rescued 12 beggars from Balaji Temple in front of the zoo, reports claim.
(With inputs from agencies)

District collector Ashish Singh also urged residents to not give alms to beggars saying, “I appeal to all residents of Indore not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people”



Indore, India In an effort to make Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city free of beggars, the district authorities have said on Monday, December 16, that FIR will registered against those who give alms from January 1, 2025. District collector Ashish Singh told reporters that the administration has already issued an order to ban begging in Indore, according to news agency PTI. “Our awareness campaign against begging will go on in the city till the end of this month (December). If any person is found giving alms from January 1, a First Information Report (FIR) will be registered against him/her,” he said. Also read | Three Hindu idols found in Sambhal’s newly uncovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple Singh also urged residents to not give alms to beggars, saying, “I appeal to all residents of Indore not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people.” In recent months, the administration has exposed different organised gangs who make people beg. Singh also said that many people who were involved in the act of begging have been rehabilitated. Initiative against begging The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a pilot project aimed at making 10 Indian cities beggar-free, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, and Ahmedabad. Also read | Bengaluru techie suicide: How one phone call helped police track down estranged wife Nikita Singhania The scheme, which will be implemented through state governments, local bodies, and other organisations, aims to provide various services to those engaged in begging. This includes awareness generation, identification, rehabilitation, counselling, medical facilities, education, skill development, and sustainable settlement. Search and rescue operations for beggars in the city have been carried out by the Indore administration for their rehabilitation. Earlier in September, 12 beggars were rescued from Khajrana Temple Square, according to reports. In another incident, 10 beggars and 4 children were rescued from the Annapurna Temple area in Indore city. In addition, authorities rescued 12 beggars from Balaji Temple in front of the zoo, reports claim. (With inputs from agencies)

Giving alms in Madhya Pradesh's Indore could land you in jail from January 1

In an effort to make Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city free of beggars, the district authorities have said on Monday, December 16, that FIR will registered against those who give alms from January 1, 2025.

District collector Ashish Singh told reporters that the administration has already issued an order to ban begging in Indore, according to news agency PTI.

“Our awareness campaign against begging will go on in the city till the end of this month (December). If any person is found giving alms from January 1, a First Information Report (FIR) will&nbsp;be registered against him/her,” he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/three-hindu-idols-found-in-sambhals-newly-uncovered-shiv-hanuman-temple-784428">Three Hindu idols found in Sambhal’s newly uncovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple</a>

Singh also urged residents to not give alms to beggars, saying, “I appeal to all residents of Indore not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people.”&nbsp;

In recent months, the administration has exposed different organised gangs who make people beg. Singh also said that many people who were involved in the act of begging have been rehabilitated.

<h2>Initiative against begging</h2>

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a pilot project aimed at making 10 Indian cities beggar-free, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, and Ahmedabad.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bengaluru-techie-suicide-how-one-phone-call-helped-police-track-down-nikita-singhania-784417">Bengaluru techie suicide: How one phone call helped police track down estranged wife Nikita Singhania</a>

The scheme, which will be implemented through state governments, local bodies, and other organisations, aims to provide various services to those engaged in begging. This includes awareness generation, identification, rehabilitation, counselling, medical facilities, education, skill development, and sustainable settlement.

Search and rescue operations for beggars in the city have been carried out by the Indore administration for their rehabilitation. Earlier in September, 12 beggars were rescued from Khajrana Temple Square, according to reports. In another incident, 10 beggars and 4 children were rescued from the Annapurna Temple area in Indore city. In addition, authorities rescued 12 beggars from Balaji Temple in front of the zoo, reports claim.

(With inputs from agencies)

In an effort to make Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city free of beggars, the district authorities have said on Monday, December 16, that FIR will registered against those who give alms from January 1, 2025.

In an effort to make Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city free of beggars, the district authorities have said on Monday, December 16, that FIR will registered against those who give alms from January 1, 2025. District collector Ashish Singh told reporters that the administration has already issued an order to ban begging in Indore, according to news agency PTI. “Our awareness campaign against begging will go on in the city till the end of this month (December). If any person is found giving alms from January 1, a First Information Report (FIR) will be registered against him/her,” he said. Also read | Three Hindu idols found in Sambhal’s newly uncovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple Singh also urged residents to not give alms to beggars, saying, “I appeal to all residents of Indore not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people.” In recent months, the administration has exposed different organised gangs who make people beg. Singh also said that many people who were involved in the act of begging have been rehabilitated. Initiative against begging The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a pilot project aimed at making 10 Indian cities beggar-free, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, and Ahmedabad. Also read | Bengaluru techie suicide: How one phone call helped police track down estranged wife Nikita Singhania The scheme, which will be implemented through state governments, local bodies, and other organisations, aims to provide various services to those engaged in begging. This includes awareness generation, identification, rehabilitation, counselling, medical facilities, education, skill development, and sustainable settlement. Search and rescue operations for beggars in the city have been carried out by the Indore administration for their rehabilitation. Earlier in September, 12 beggars were rescued from Khajrana Temple Square, according to reports. In another incident, 10 beggars and 4 children were rescued from the Annapurna Temple area in Indore city. In addition, authorities rescued 12 beggars from Balaji Temple in front of the zoo, reports claim. (With inputs from agencies)

Losing a hand in an accident is traumatic. Even when a person receives a prosthetic limb, the return to normality may not be always close to a 100 per cent. But as technology develops, considerable progress is being made in this direction and positive results are gradually emerging. The results obtained in the case of 50-year-old Swedish woman are testimony to this.

The case has exemplified how prosthetics are now aiming to 'fuse' with&nbsp;the stump of the severed hand in order to give the patient greater degree of mobility and even sense of touch. Use of Artificial Intelligence, among other things, is creating a difference.

Watch | US updates AI chip export rule

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The case was reported by ScienceAlert and the team of engineers and researchers who worked with the patient has also published their findings in journal Science Robotics.

Karin (50) whose last name was not disclosed, lost her hand in a farming accident years ago. Instead of traditional prosthetics, she was reportedly fitted with a bionic hand which was a result of cutting-edge tech that makes the artificial hand directly connect with a user's bones, muscles and nerves. This creates a unique human-machine interface that facilitates use of AI to translate brain signals into simple, precise movements.

Karin, says the report, has now regained a limited sense of touch and can move all the fingers of the bionic hand with 95 per cent success rate.

She spent two decades without her right hand after the farming accident. But now, she can carry out 80 per cent of her usual daily activities which include making meals, zipping and unzipping clothes or bags, working door knobs, picking up objects etc.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ai-based-chatbots-could-help-plan-bioweapon-attacks-report-648082">AI-based chatbots could help plan bioweapon attacks: Report</a>

The team of researchers includes those from Italy, Sweden and Australia.

"The fact that [Karin] has been able to use her prosthesis comfortably and effectively in daily activities for years is a promising testament to the potential life-changing capabilities of this novel technology for individuals facing limb loss," says Max Ortiz Catalán, a robotic engineer who led the research at &nbsp;Bionics Institute in Melbourne, Australia and the Center for Bionics and Pain Research in Sweden. He was quoted on the institute's website.

"This integration is so strong that we can actually attach the artificial limb directly to the skeleton," says Ortiz Catalán in a video posted on &nbsp;Center for Bionics and Pain Research's official YouTube channel.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Losing a hand in an accident is traumatic. Even when a person receives a prosthetic limb, the return to normality may not be always close to a 100 per cent. But as technology develops, considerable progress is being made in this direction and positive results are gradually emerging.

Losing a hand in an accident is traumatic. Even when a person receives a prosthetic limb, the return to normality may not be always close to a 100 per cent. But as technology develops, considerable progress is being made in this direction and positive results are gradually emerging. The results obtained in the case of 50-year-old Swedish woman are testimony to this. The case has exemplified how prosthetics are now aiming to 'fuse' with the stump of the severed hand in order to give the patient greater degree of mobility and even sense of touch. Use of Artificial Intelligence, among other things, is creating a difference. Watch | US updates AI chip export rule × The case was reported by ScienceAlert and the team of engineers and researchers who worked with the patient has also published their findings in journal Science Robotics. Karin (50) whose last name was not disclosed, lost her hand in a farming accident years ago. Instead of traditional prosthetics, she was reportedly fitted with a bionic hand which was a result of cutting-edge tech that makes the artificial hand directly connect with a user's bones, muscles and nerves. This creates a unique human-machine interface that facilitates use of AI to translate brain signals into simple, precise movements. Karin, says the report, has now regained a limited sense of touch and can move all the fingers of the bionic hand with 95 per cent success rate. She spent two decades without her right hand after the farming accident. But now, she can carry out 80 per cent of her usual daily activities which include making meals, zipping and unzipping clothes or bags, working door knobs, picking up objects etc. Also Read | AI-based chatbots could help plan bioweapon attacks: Report The team of researchers includes those from Italy, Sweden and Australia. "The fact that [Karin] has been able to use her prosthesis comfortably and effectively in daily activities for years is a promising testament to the potential life-changing capabilities of this novel technology for individuals facing limb loss," says Max Ortiz Catalán, a robotic engineer who led the research at Bionics Institute in Melbourne, Australia and the Center for Bionics and Pain Research in Sweden. He was quoted on the institute's website. "This integration is so strong that we can actually attach the artificial limb directly to the skeleton," says Ortiz Catalán in a video posted on Center for Bionics and Pain Research's official YouTube channel. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Bionic hand fusing with human body creates new possibilities in amputee rehabilitation

Palestinian Layan al-Dweik, 12, started taking horseback riding sessions to improve her posture after a spinal tumour left her paralysed from the waist down. But the riding sessions have done more than that. They have helped her gain some sensation in her limbs, according to instructor Hani al-Natsheh and her father.

Palestinian turns to therapeutic horseback riding in search of rehabilitation

Indonesia said the famous Komodo island will be closed to the public for one year starting on the first day of 2020 in a bid to conserve the endangered Komodo dragon and its ecosystem.

Indonesia will close Komodo island in 2020 for rehabilitation

Thirty-four years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, survivors continue to demand proper rehabilitation and adequate compensation besides proper medical treatment for ailments caused by the toxic leak.

In what is termed as the world’s worst industrial disaster, over 15,000 people were killed after methyl isocyanate leaked on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) in the city.

More than five lakh people were affected due to the toxic leak.

Various organisations fighting for gas leak survivors have been seeking proper medical care, adequate compensation and cleaning of the groundwater and soil which became contaminated after the incident.

The survivors’ bodies including the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Children Against Dow Carbide and the Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) issued a joint statement Sunday accusing the Madhya Pradesh and central governments of neglecting the victims.

Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said, “Recent scientific studies show that deaths and diseases attributable to exposure to Union Carbide’s gases continue to occur in Bhopal. Yet, over 80 per cent of the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee for medical rehabilitation of victims remain to be implemented.

Further, funds meant for providing employment to survivors and their children are being diverted for building roads, drains and parks by a minister for his electoral constituency, she alleged.

President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh Rashida Bee said, “Since 2004…the contamination has spread to 42 settlements around the factory with a population of over one hundred thousand. But, the governments at the state and the centre have done nothing.”

While claiming that about 20,000 persons died due to the gas tragedy and its subsequent effects, convener of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sanghathan (BGPMUS) Abdul Jabbar said, “The pittance which was disbursed as compensation in most instances was never enough to take care of their daily needs.

“Finding gainful employment in accordance with the reduced capacity to work, and to lead a dignified life has been a serious challenge for survivors,” he said.

Accusing the state government of persistent apathy, Jabbar said, “Proper protocol for treatment of most gas-related ailments has not been evolved even after 34 years.”

Jabbar also alleged that the toxic waste generated during UCIL’s operation from 1969 to 1984 was dumped in and around the plant, leading to severe soil and water contamination.

“A comprehensive study to estimate the extent and gravity of the damage has not been carried out. Instead, the magnitude of the problem has been grossly underestimated by authorities,” he said.

Thirty-four years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, survivors continue to demand proper rehabilitation and adequate compensation besides proper medical treatment for ailments caused by the toxic leak.

Thirty-four years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, survivors continue to demand proper rehabilitation and adequate compensation besides proper medical treatment for ailments caused by the toxic leak. In what is termed as the world’s worst industrial disaster, over 15,000 people were killed after methyl isocyanate leaked on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) in the city. More than five lakh people were affected due to the toxic leak. Various organisations fighting for gas leak survivors have been seeking proper medical care, adequate compensation and cleaning of the groundwater and soil which became contaminated after the incident. The survivors’ bodies including the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Children Against Dow Carbide and the Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) issued a joint statement Sunday accusing the Madhya Pradesh and central governments of neglecting the victims. Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said, “Recent scientific studies show that deaths and diseases attributable to exposure to Union Carbide’s gases continue to occur in Bhopal. Yet, over 80 per cent of the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee for medical rehabilitation of victims remain to be implemented. Further, funds meant for providing employment to survivors and their children are being diverted for building roads, drains and parks by a minister for his electoral constituency, she alleged. President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh Rashida Bee said, “Since 2004…the contamination has spread to 42 settlements around the factory with a population of over one hundred thousand. But, the governments at the state and the centre have done nothing.” While claiming that about 20,000 persons died due to the gas tragedy and its subsequent effects, convener of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sanghathan (BGPMUS) Abdul Jabbar said, “The pittance which was disbursed as compensation in most instances was never enough to take care of their daily needs. “Finding gainful employment in accordance with the reduced capacity to work, and to lead a dignified life has been a serious challenge for survivors,” he said. Accusing the state government of persistent apathy, Jabbar said, “Proper protocol for treatment of most gas-related ailments has not been evolved even after 34 years.” Jabbar also alleged that the toxic waste generated during UCIL’s operation from 1969 to 1984 was dumped in and around the plant, leading to severe soil and water contamination. “A comprehensive study to estimate the extent and gravity of the damage has not been carried out. Instead, the magnitude of the problem has been grossly underestimated by authorities,” he said.

Bhopal gas tragedy: 34 years after incident, survivors continue to fight for proper rehabilitation

Imagine an alien massacre destroys our homes, and&nbsp;what remains&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;world unfit for human&nbsp;survival. We are&nbsp;physically and emotionally hurt. Mankind is directionless, and there&#39;s no sign&nbsp;of help or hope.

This is what happens to wild animals when their homes, the forest, are cut down. We place them in an environment&nbsp;their natural instincts don&#39;t recognise.

One&nbsp;species to face this&nbsp;is&nbsp;the sloth&nbsp;of South America. With&nbsp;trees being rapidly cut down&nbsp;they were left homeless, injured and tormented.&nbsp;Until one day they&nbsp;saw a ray of hope.

A human&nbsp;came like a hero to save them, by&nbsp;sheltering&nbsp;them in her own house.&nbsp;A&nbsp;place that was unfamiliar but felt safe. She fed them, soothed them and when they were ready put them back into their natural homes. Over a 12-year period super-saviour Monique Pool, also known as the &quot;Sloth Lady&quot;, has rescued 700 sloths.

Pool fell in love with sloths after&nbsp;she took in Lucia, a baby from a rescue centre. Today&nbsp;14 sloths safely reside in her house, while she continues to rescue&nbsp;more and advocate&nbsp;for their conservation rights.

 
Sloths: What are they?

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The Sloth Lady

It all began in 2005 when Pool&nbsp;lost her dog and phoned the local Animal Protection Society to see if they&#39;d found her. They hadn&#39;t, but she was told about a baby sloth they didn&#39;t know how to look after. Even though she was clueless about sloths, she offered to take it in and was instantly smitten.

To learn how to take care of&nbsp;her newly-found love, she consulted another sloth rescuer in Costa Rica. It turns out sloths&nbsp;consume goat&#39;s milk, as cow&#39;s milk is&nbsp;fatal.

&ldquo;My first baby will always remain in my heart. &nbsp;He died within two years and I didn&#39;t know why at first. The experience taught me how little expertise there was in their rehabilitation and care. He is the reason I continue to do this work.&rdquo;

Her motivation to establish an organisation came from her desire to help one animal. That alone&nbsp;showed her&nbsp;the need to ensure the survival of this species.

The rescue process begins with a call from a concerned community member. &nbsp;Pool travels to the animal&#39;s location&nbsp;to pick it up. &ldquo;Sloths are difficult to rescue considering their strong climbing skills and ability to hang on to anything with their strong grip.&rdquo;

Once the sloth has been safely rescued, she brings them back to her rehabilitation centre&nbsp;and performs an examination.

&ldquo;Some of them have come to us with severe wounds and sometimes completely debilitated, always caused by humans. These types of animals do not make it, sloths do everything slow, even dying. Sometimes I sit with them, chanting to them mantras to help them make the transition.&rdquo;

If the animal is healthy, it is released back in the forests. Otherwise, it is treated until it&#39;s ready to be on its own.

&ldquo;They are not pets, they are wild animals. They&#39;re capable of taking care of themselves as long as they are in their natural surroundings and that is where I decided to put them. It&#39;s a special experience to watch a sloth climb on a tree, deep in the safety of a forest.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

It&#39;s raining sloths

In 2012, Pool faced a crisis that she calls &quot;Sloth Armageddon&quot;. A forest near her city was being cleared and she was to rescue 14 sloths. As 50-foot-high trees were cut down, sloths fell to the ground, to be picked up by Pool and her team.&nbsp;

&quot;There were so many of them, it was hard to open the cage and keep them all in,&quot; she says. &quot;As soon as they saw the doors open, they would try and get out.&quot; At night, males would fight and had to be separated.

Four days into the rescue, they realised they were dealing with a lot more than 14 sloths. &quot;After a month we were close to 200 sloths,&quot; says Pool. &quot;At one point, we had 17 babies being fed with droppers.&quot;

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Super-savior Monique Pool, also known as the Sloth Lady has rescued 700 sloths and rehabilitated them in her house over a period of 12 years. (Others)
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&nbsp;

Being slothified

&ldquo;They are peaceful and smiling creatures but far from easy to keep. Unlike most animals, sloths that are moving are sloths that are unhappy. When they sit, eat and sleep, is when they are happy.&rdquo;

Taking care of sloths is a challenge in itself. Since there is limited knowledge about their biology, Pool struggled to keep these furry animals healthy and help them recover from traumatic events. The adult sloths need to be fed three times a day and babies every few hours.

&ldquo;Sloths have very sensitive diets. Our team has to go to the forest every day to fetch fresh leaves.&rdquo;

She finds them sharp - a group of sloths learned how to open the bathroom door and one even used the toilet.

&quot;The first time we thought it was a mistake. It was only after the fourth time we realised we had taught her how to go to the toilet,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&ldquo;When I had my first baby, a friend observed that it was clutching my glasses and looking at it like it was investigating.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Not just sloths

Pool now also takes care of dolphins, anteaters, armadillos and porcupines. She is a real hero in the world of wildlife rehabilitation.&nbsp;

When animals are in trouble, she is the one you call!

More power to you Monique!

(WION)

Monique Pool has 14 sloths she rescued living in her house. When forests are cut down, she's out saving even more

Imagine an alien massacre destroys our homes, and what remains is a world unfit for human survival. We are physically and emotionally hurt. Mankind is directionless, and there's no sign of help or hope. This is what happens to wild animals when their homes, the forest, are cut down. We place them in an environment their natural instincts don't recognise. One species to face this is the sloth of South America. With trees being rapidly cut down they were left homeless, injured and tormented. Until one day they saw a ray of hope. A human came like a hero to save them, by sheltering them in her own house. A place that was unfamiliar but felt safe. She fed them, soothed them and when they were ready put them back into their natural homes. Over a 12-year period super-saviour Monique Pool, also known as the "Sloth Lady", has rescued 700 sloths. Pool fell in love with sloths after she took in Lucia, a baby from a rescue centre. Today 14 sloths safely reside in her house, while she continues to rescue more and advocate for their conservation rights. Sloths: What are they? The Sloth Lady It all began in 2005 when Pool lost her dog and phoned the local Animal Protection Society to see if they'd found her. They hadn't, but she was told about a baby sloth they didn't know how to look after. Even though she was clueless about sloths, she offered to take it in and was instantly smitten. To learn how to take care of her newly-found love, she consulted another sloth rescuer in Costa Rica. It turns out sloths consume goat's milk, as cow's milk is fatal. “My first baby will always remain in my heart. He died within two years and I didn't know why at first. The experience taught me how little expertise there was in their rehabilitation and care. He is the reason I continue to do this work.” Her motivation to establish an organisation came from her desire to help one animal. That alone showed her the need to ensure the survival of this species. The rescue process begins with a call from a concerned community member. Pool travels to the animal's location to pick it up. “Sloths are difficult to rescue considering their strong climbing skills and ability to hang on to anything with their strong grip.” Once the sloth has been safely rescued, she brings them back to her rehabilitation centre and performs an examination. “Some of them have come to us with severe wounds and sometimes completely debilitated, always caused by humans. These types of animals do not make it, sloths do everything slow, even dying. Sometimes I sit with them, chanting to them mantras to help them make the transition.” If the animal is healthy, it is released back in the forests. Otherwise, it is treated until it's ready to be on its own. “They are not pets, they are wild animals. They're capable of taking care of themselves as long as they are in their natural surroundings and that is where I decided to put them. It's a special experience to watch a sloth climb on a tree, deep in the safety of a forest.” It's raining sloths In 2012, Pool faced a crisis that she calls "Sloth Armageddon". A forest near her city was being cleared and she was to rescue 14 sloths. As 50-foot-high trees were cut down, sloths fell to the ground, to be picked up by Pool and her team. "There were so many of them, it was hard to open the cage and keep them all in," she says. "As soon as they saw the doors open, they would try and get out." At night, males would fight and had to be separated. Four days into the rescue, they realised they were dealing with a lot more than 14 sloths. "After a month we were close to 200 sloths," says Pool. "At one point, we had 17 babies being fed with droppers." Super-savior Monique Pool, also known as the Sloth Lady has rescued 700 sloths and rehabilitated them in her house over a period of 12 years. (Others) × Being slothified “They are peaceful and smiling creatures but far from easy to keep. Unlike most animals, sloths that are moving are sloths that are unhappy. When they sit, eat and sleep, is when they are happy.” Taking care of sloths is a challenge in itself. Since there is limited knowledge about their biology, Pool struggled to keep these furry animals healthy and help them recover from traumatic events. The adult sloths need to be fed three times a day and babies every few hours. “Sloths have very sensitive diets. Our team has to go to the forest every day to fetch fresh leaves.” She finds them sharp - a group of sloths learned how to open the bathroom door and one even used the toilet. "The first time we thought it was a mistake. It was only after the fourth time we realised we had taught her how to go to the toilet," she said. “When I had my first baby, a friend observed that it was clutching my glasses and looking at it like it was investigating.” Not just sloths Pool now also takes care of dolphins, anteaters, armadillos and porcupines. She is a real hero in the world of wildlife rehabilitation. When animals are in trouble, she is the one you call! More power to you Monique! (WION)

International Women's Day: Super-woman saves the sloths

The African Penguin Festival showcases a unique species of penguins that is found nowhere else in the planet. There are about 24 known colonies of these penguins all around South Africa.

Conservation and rehabilitation of the species is critical to ensure its survival, given that its population has declined from 5 million in the 1930s to merely 60,000 today.

On the African Penguin Awareness Day, these rehabilitated penguins were released into the wild to ensure the survival of their species.

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Urgent action is needed to save the species, given that its numbers have shrunk rapidly over decades

The African Penguin Festival showcases a unique species of penguins that is found nowhere else in the planet. There are about 24 known colonies of these penguins all around South Africa. Conservation and rehabilitation of the species is critical to ensure its survival, given that its population has declined from 5 million in the 1930s to merely 60,000 today. On the African Penguin Awareness Day, these rehabilitated penguins were released into the wild to ensure the survival of their species.

Video: These penguins are only found in Africa

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