Ammu — The Long Road Back to Trust

Ammu — The Long Road Back to Trust

Unlike Rani, Ammu’s story unfolded under extreme urgency.

She was part of a deer herd raised for meat on a farm where circumstances gradually became impossible to manage. Regulatory requirements tightened, deer repeatedly escaped, and the cost of feeding and containment became unsustainable. Bound by guidelines and facing no viable alternatives, the farmer made the lawful decision to clear the herd.

When we became aware of the situation, there was very little time.

At the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence, approval had been granted to keep three female deer under strict compliance conditions. Knowing our limits, we acted immediately and reached out to the professional engaged to carry out the clearance, requesting just one thing — to save at least two deer, so they could be given a life beyond survival.

The person entrusted with this task acted with exceptional compassion. He understood the request and did everything within his role to honour it.

He managed to secure two deer — Ammu and one other, but the 2nd one escaped.

By the time the process concluded, the rest of the herd had been lost.

Ammu arrived carrying that loss.

She was highly alert, fearful, and deeply unsettled. Her instincts were shaped by danger. She would run long distances along the fence line, constantly testing boundaries, never fully at ease. Human presence did not reassure her — it heightened her vigilance.

Nothing was rushed.

She was given food, space, and consistency. There were no attempts to force interaction. Care was provided quietly, day after day, without expectation.

Weeks passed.

Then months.

Nearly a year went by.

Gradually, Ammu began to respond differently. She stopped fleeing immediately. She lingered. She watched. Familiar routines became anchors rather than threats

Today, Ammu accepts the people around her as family.

She allows interaction. She remains present when visitors arrive. She no longer measures every movement as danger. Trust — slow, fragile, and deeply earned — has taken root.

Ammu is alive because choices were made in a narrow window where time, regulation, and conscience intersected.

Her story is not about rescue alone.

It is about staying long enough for fear to loosen its grip.

Ammu survived.

And she stayed.