PRANI – The Pet Sanctuary, Bengaluru. A beautiful day spent amidst nature and animals that too in Bangalore. Prani is more than just a space, home to rescued animals away from the city buzzes where you can connect with nature and pet animals. It’s a must visit place near Bangalore along with your kids.
Its a wonderful place which offers an individual to touch and feel of pet animals, which is not possible in a Zoo. Majority of the animals are rescued and relocated here. Both kids and parents can spend some time with animals which is mutually beneficial.
Why you should go to PRANI ?
Today’s age, a child may have never petted horse, sheep, goat etc. Many kids are afraid of touching the pet animals. By visiting there kids can overcome the fear of animals. Therefore which is good for kids mental health.
Most importantly you can minimize the screen time for kids. Prani is a unique place where your kid can touch, feed the pet animals and aviary birds, besides it will help kids socialise and to know more about the pets.
Why Human-Animal Bonding is Important?
According to one article from Science Direct, The Human-Animal bond is a powerful force. It can help us through the most difficult times in our lives.
The human–animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviours essential to the health and wellbeing of both. This includes, among other things, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) the human- animal bond is defined as, “…a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals”.
Location of Prani, The Pet Sanctuary
Prani – The Pet Sanctuary is located on the outskirts of Bengaluru little away from the Art of Living center on Kanakapura Road. The drive is beautiful. Pleasant drive across Kanakapura Road. Then you hit somanahalli village and drive few km to reach Prani.
Address : Somanahalli Village, Off, Kanakapura Rd, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560082
Contact No: 097420 84335
Parking
Though the entry road is very small, but they have parking facility.
A quote which I noticed at the entrance. “Peacocks feathers are not for our beauty but for their beauty”. Very thoughtful lines!
Entry Ticket
399 /- per person.(3yrs and above) Which is basically used for the welfare of the animals, as this place is not a funded one.
We reached there at 11.30am, bought the ticket. Once you buy the ticket you will be allotted a group number and will be directed towards a waiting place. Waiting time is generally 10-15 mins for the tour to start. Ours was group no. 3 including around 20 people.
Guided tour at Prani
The respective section guide will explain about the animals first, and then they will allow you to touch them. Guides are friendly and explain all the queries very calmly.
These are some of the animals which we can touch/feed. Rabbit, sheep, emu, aviary birds, dwarf donkey, horse, terrapin, goats, guinea pig, hamster, gerbil, iguana.
Our guided tour started with rabbit, and we were allowed to hold. Once everyone are done carrying the rabbit we moved to little aquarium.
Why Archer Fish spits water?
I was surprised to see fish spitting water. Surprised?
It’s true, the guide showed us how Archer Fish spits water.
Archer Fish is known for their habit of preying on land-based insects and other small animals by shooting them down with mouthful of water from their specialized mouths. Archerfish are remarkably accurate in their shooting; an adult fish almost always hits the target on the first shot. They can bring down insects and other prey up to 3 m above the water surface. This is partially due to their good eyesight, but also to their ability to compensate for the refraction of light as it passes through the air-water interface when aiming at their prey.
Why Ducks doesn’t get wet in water?
And then moved to see Ducks & geese. One of the beautiful creatures, even though they swim in water; ducks don’t get wet in water?
Really!
As we see there are many adaptations in all living organism (both plants and animals) which make them comfortable even in the adverse condition of environment. For example a polar bear’s body hair that maintains the body temperature. Similarly, duck has webbed feet that helps duck to swim in water therefore a duck does not get wet in water. Also webbed feet help duck to swim in shallow water and keep it little above from the water surface.
Furthermore, a secret lies in the layer of smooth feathers, which keeps the water out and also helps the duck float. Because these smart ducks make a kind of oil, which they spread on their feathers with their beaks. That’s how they doesn’t get wet.
Gunda the Sheep
Next we moved towards the sheep, our guide showed us even the sheep has silver lining too! Even sheep will have jaw and teeth like humans, but teeth only on the lower jaw.
Emu
Have you ever thought what is the difference between Emu and Ostrich? Here you go. Emus have three toes on each foot in a tridactyl arrangement, which is an adaptation for running and is seen in other birds like quails. Whereas the ostrich has two toes on each foot.
And they have showed us Emu egg.
Dwarf Donkey
All the kids fed the dwarf donkey.
Aviary Birds – Feathered Friends
Then we moved to beautiful aviary birds section. An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages. Aviaries often contain plants and shrubbery to simulate a natural environment.
Personally I liked aviary section, because we were inside the cage in between the birds. Aviary birds were flying all around us. Each one of us are holding seeds in our palm. So that birds will come, sit on our hand to eat that seeds. It was a nice experience to hold small, cute, beautifully coloured birds to hold in our hands. Kids will love it.
Terrapin
A terrapin is one of several small species of turtle living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapin name comes from ‘torope’, a Native American Algonquian word meaning ‘a little turtle’.
Unlike turtles and tortoises, terrapins remain relatively small. Terrapins are aggressive and will bite. They have incredibly sharp claws and a powerful snapping jaw. Although they do not have teeth, they can easily take a finger off with a single chomp. So be careful while touching them.
Maya the Horse
We couldn’t get to touch Maya the Horse, as it was busy having food inside her stable. Maya is 6 year old weighing around 625 kg.
Goat
There were many small goat kids. They were coming to us for food. Surprisingly our little one (3 and half year old now) was not afraid. Of all the animals he liked the goat kid I felt. Because it was small and cute too. you can see the expression here 🙂 !
Guinea pig and other rodents
This is the first time we saw the guinea pig and other rodents by holding in our hands.
Iguana
Finally, we got chance to touch Iguana. If Iguana is not moving the eyes then we couldn’t make out whether it’s a statue or the real one.
By this our guided tour is completed, if anyone wished they were free to roam around.
Video on PRANI – The Pet Sanctuary
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Food:
A small cafe inside, with limited food options.
All in all I would recommend this place for all kids and their parents to help develop a connection to animals and thereby to Mother Nature, just to avoid spending weekends with electronic gadgets which most kids are addicted to. We felt rejuvenated after being so close to those animals. I would say that this is a must visit place in Bengaluru for people of all ages.
Do you know any other places where we can engage kids without using gadgets? Comment below.
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Beautifully said!
Thank you so much dear 🙂