The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Take me home, please

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 15, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Take me home, please

S. Sandeep Kumar

NO TAKERS: The abandoned horse being taken care of in Amberpet police station. PHOTO: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: It must have seen better days. But now, it wears a forlorn look on its face. Tied to a tree, it nibbles blades of grass strewn around. It neighs occasionally and the policeman guarding the station behind the sand bag bunker shifts his gaze and sighs.

The guard and his colleagues in Amberpet police station are at a loss about the horse that landed in their possession in a strange circumstance. Not familiar with ways of rearing a horse, the policemen somehow manage to get bundles of grass so that it does not starve.

For the last five days, the policemen have been waiting for its master to claim the animal.

The story begins

The ordeal for the animal and the policemen began on Monday when the dark brown colt was abandoned by its owner near Sree Ramana theatre at Amberpet junction. Scared by persistent honking and vehicular movement, the horse stood like a rock in middle of the road causing traffic jam. Perplexed road users tried to shoo it away but it would not budge.

The line of vehicles lengthened, the police were called in and with some difficulty, the horse was tethered and taken to the police station.

Stop and stare

And since then, it has been attracting curious glances from passers-by. Now, it has become a favourite pastime for local children. "It was roaming aimlessly the entire day. We alerted the police in the hope that someone would come looking for it," Mohd. Khaja Pasha, a resident, said.

"We will either send it to the zoo or to any animal protection organisation if its owner does not turn up," says Amberpet Sub-Inspector Mohd. Shareef.

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