Babloo Zorang Pet Show 2006

 “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.”

–Anatole France.

At a very young age Babloo Aziz found a helpless little bird on the street and took it home to nurse it back to health. Despite trying everything he could, he could just spend two weeks with the bird before it passed away. Those two weeks were very special for Babloo as the connection he felt with the bird was something that he simply couldn’t explain. Since then, he tirelessly began helping out birds in distress.

Today, Babloo has his own private sanctuary in Pune with over 150 exotic birds of around 38 different species. 

Reading about the increasing rate of violence towards animals & birds, Babloo decided to educate people around about the beauty these creatures add to our surroundings & a hope to curb animal abuse. In order to do this he has organised a special exhibition of birds and animals from his sanctuary where people can watch these majestic birds as well as attend seminars on pet care that will take place at the exhibition ( Babloo Zorang Pet Show 2006) venue.

I was lucky to be shown around by Babloo & his team who gave me special access to view them from a very close range owing to my experience of handling animals & birds.

The venue, Chitrakoot Ground (Andheri West), had kept all the animals in different enclosures under a pandal.

The first in line were the aquariums :

Arowana



The type of Arowana at the exhibition was the Silver Arowana. It is also called 'monkey fish' or 'river monkey' because of its ability to jump out of the water and capture its prey. Owing to this ability, this fish is notorious for committing suicide by jumping out into the dry. That’s why it is mandatory for the aquarium to be covered. Their shiny silver color is what distinguishes them from other Arowana fish.


Flowerhorn Fish

Flowerhorn's got their name from the huge hump on their head. Their head protuberance, or kok, is formally termed a "nuchal hump." The Red eye, turquoise pearl colour on their body around the black spots indicates it is a Zhen Zhu Flowerhorn Fish.

Koi

Koi fish, also known as the swimming jewels of the Orient, are kept in outdoor ponds all over the world. Koi fish are a common symbol in both Chinese culture and feng shui, depicted on artwork, clothing, tattoos and even with live fish used in landscape design. Koi fish have a very long history in Chinese and Japanese culture. They were originally common carp and were later domesticated and bred to produce certain colors. Koi fish are prominent in the work of Japanese tattoo artists because of a long-standing legend of how the fish become dragons. Most of the meaning and symbolism behind the fish stems from this ancient legend.

Alligator Fish

This fish derives its name from its Alligator like snout.

There was also a small aquarium filled with a variety of colourful fish.

As we entered the Exotic bird display, we saw this very interesting bouquet made from the old feathers of the birds owned by Babloo. Each feather was one of the many the bird's dropped while shedding (moult) or grooming themselves.

Moluccan cockatoo & Umbrella cockatoo mix

The first bird we met at the display was a Moluccan cockatoo & Umbrella cockatoo mix named Sultan. He was quite a charmer & Babloos favorite. He simply loved the attention he was getting from the crowd. 

Scarlet Macaw

The Scarlet Macaw is one of the most colorful and the largest of all Macaws. This is a magnificent bird that features a variety of bold colors namely reds, blues, greens, yellows, and white hues.

It is also recognized as the National bird of Honduras. The Scarlet Macaw is known to be aggressive.



With the heat around, the team would spray the birds with cold water, which they love!



But some of the birds decided to take matters in their own hands and took a bath with the water in their water bowls.

Green Winged Macaw

The Green-winged macaw, also known as the Red-and-green Macaw, is often mistaken for the Scarlet Macaw, because of its predominant red feathering. The breast of the Green-winged macaw is bright red, but the lower feathers of the wing are green and there is but a bit of yellow playing hide and seek in its feathers.



It is also known as the "Gentle Giant".

Blue and Gold Macaws

Blue and Gold Macaws typically have a green forehead, fading into blue which covers the nape, back, tail, and wings.



The chest and underside of the wings and belly are a bright golden yellow. They have large black beaks, and white patches of skin around their eyes and face. These patches are adorned with rings of tiny black feathers.



Beautiful, captivating, intelligent, and majestic, Blue and Gold Macaws have held a place as one of the most popular large parrots for years. These brightly colored beauties have so much more to offer than just a pretty face, they are full of personality as well! 

Black Palm

The Black Palm Cockatoo, also known as the Goliath Cockatoo, is a large smoky-grey or black parrot of the cockatoo family. Its bill is unusual as the lower and upper mandibles do not meet for much of its length, allowing the tongue to hold a nut against the top mandible while the lower mandible works to open it.



The Palm Cockatoo also has a distinctive red cheek patch that changes colour when the bird is alarmed or excited. Lack of sunlight can also affect the colour of its cheeks.

Please note, the Babloo Exotic Pet Show is on till the 19th of April, 2016 from 10am to 8pm at the Chitrakoot Ground, Andheri West.