A hardcore flesh eating wild animal – hyena, turned vegetarian while living with vegetarian farmer family in Kandhasar village near Gujarat’s Chotila town.

The hyena that has been named – Pintu, has become a family member of its guardian Zaverbhai, a local farmer.

“I spotted this hyena in my one of the cotton farms. It was a newborn animal then. It was alone and looking like a dog puppy. I offered milk to the little animal for three-four days. But what mattered then was not just a quota of milk, but lots of love that we offered. The hyena continued to stay with us and didn’t go anywhere else. We named it Pintu,” says Zaverbhai.

“Pintu consumes buffalo milk, sugar, Ghee and sheero – all vegetarian items. Though dog and hyena are traditionally hostile towards each other, this hyena lives peacefully and joyfully with our pet dog,” Zaverbhai added.

When Pintu grew up, Zaverbhai came to know that it is actually a hyena and not dog. Zaverbhai tried to relocate the hyena in forest area but he didn’t get success as everytime Pintu the hyena followed Zaverbhai to reach his farm.

According to Chotila range forest officer P.V.Jhala, hyena is 100% flesh eating animal and Zaverbhai’s Pintu is unusual case that demands study.

Forest department takes hyena ‘Pintu’ to zoo

As Hyena is schedule 3 animal, the Gujarat Forest Department on Thursday took the possession of hyena ‘Pintu’ from guardian Zaverbhai and brought it to the Sakkar Bagh Zoo. A personal love story between a farmer and a hyena has thus ended due to the wild life act. There were tears in Zaverbhai’s eyes when Pintu left his farm in Forest department vehicle.