It was Independence Day, 15 August, when Animal Rahat received a call they won’t forget. A buffalo calf had tumbled deep into a filthy drainage line. She was all but invisible, only her face showing beneath layers of muck and garbage. Animal Rahat rescuers peered down at her and then got to work to free the frightened calf. It took extra hands from the fire brigade, but soon our little calf was back on solid ground, safe, alert, and, miraculously, uninjured.

She is now named Draupadi, honoring the powerful heroine of the Mahabharata (an ancient Indian text) and the spirit of unity—much like the one that brought the rescuers together to save her.

Draupadi can celebrate this Independence Day as she thrives at Animal Rahat’s Sangli sanctuary alongside five other buffalo rescued by the team. Seeing her brightens everyone’s day, and she will now only know love.

Thank you for making every day a holiday for animals as precious as Draupadi