UP man requests authorities to free his winged friend from cage, internet melts

New Delhi: Arif Khan Gurjar , who melted hearts having nurtured a special bond with a Sarus crane, has become a talking point on social media of late.

However, authorities earlier had taken away the bird form him last month while charging Arif under various sections of Wildlife Protection Act, according to NDTV.

Now Arif Khan Gurjar, who is from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, only wants the bird to get freedom as its quarantine at an Uttar Pradesh zoo ends.

‘Once the quarantine ends, it should be freed from his cage and moved to a bird sanctuary. This is my request,’ Arif was quoted as saying.

Arif made friends with the massive bird after he had found it lying injured in a filed a year ago.

He nursed it back to health developing a bond that made the bird paying him frequent visits flying in from the forest.

Arif is living about a kilometer away from the forest where the bird lived.

When it arrived to visit him, the bird followed his scooter nearly breaking the internet with likes.

Being Uttar Pradesh’s state bird, it is illegal to keep it at home, which came in the way of their unique friendship.

After the video of Arif and the bird went viral the forest department removed the bird to a zoo, and charged Arif.

There came about strong public reaction, according to the report, demanding the authorities to restore the beautiful friendship.

It took a political turn when Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP, saying that the saffron party ‘ do not love the environment of love, whether it is love between man and man or between man and bird’.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav supported caring for endangered species, while stressing it is responsibility to inform authorities.

Authorities had taken the bird first to Panchi Vihar before shifting it to Kanpur Zoological Park.

Arif, obviously upset after the bird was removed to the zoo, said he has not gone home since authorities took away the bird.

Arif reportedly said that the bird instantly recognized him when he visited the zoo to meet with it, jumping and flapping its wings.

Arif requests the authorities to shift the bird to a sanctuary once its quarantine ends, hoping that it can fly to Amethi if it wants to meet him.