Animals

Boris Verjoutski, who passed away in April of this year, regularly contributed his observations of the natural world and human behaviour to Auroville’s weekly “News & Notes” community newsletter.

Citing cases of animal neglect and abuse, the Auroville Dog Shelter team has invited Auroville residents and friends of Auroville to participate in the writing of an Auroville Animal Charter, which should become a framework for how to live in a harmonious co-existence with all sentient beings in Auroville.

The Auroville dog shelter has been receiving an increasing number of desperate calls to save abandoned new-born puppies. However, as the dog shelter is at maximum capacity and is regularly flooded by heavy monsoon rains, help cannot be provided.

Integrated Animal Care Centre (IACC) was started in 2005. It is a legacy of Ann Plummer. She was known as “Animal Care Ann” as she used to give food and look after stray dogs and cats.

Zohar (17), known to most as Zozo, might be Auroville’s youngest full time forester. He lives and works in Evergreen, where he grew up among the trees and animals.

When Aurelec first started back in the early 1980s, it had no catering facility, only a small kerosene stove on which the cleaning lady brewed tea and coffee for the pioneer staff working there.

As early as August 1970, the Administrative Committee of Auroville, which reported to The Mother, agreed that Auroville, like the Ashram, would have a poultry farm.

Here’s a paradox. Although Auroville remains a predominantly rural community, many Aurovilians have little knowledge of the wildlife that lives around them.

Aikya has lived in Auroville for the past twenty two years. Here she describes how her quest to understand the meaning of life led her to a deeper understanding of the natural world.