She has two able assistants by her side, her older daughter Shanjana and infant Vamsika. Right from picking up newborn kittens to even pigs, the family rescues and rehabilitates them all. However, one animal holds a special place in Leela’s heart — squirrels. Over the past five years, she has saved nearly 200 of them from the brink of death and has released them back into their habitat. “I would like to thank my family first, for their unconditional support in letting me save these animals,” begins the mother of two.

“Ever since I was a child, I have loved being around creatures of all shapes and sizes but I have always been fascinated with squirrels because they’re so intelligent,” she says. When she finds an orphaned baby or an injured adult, she first gets them treated for free the Blue Cross of India facility before taking them home. “Not just squirrels, I take the young ones of almost every species home with me because they require round the clock care. For example, a newborn kitten is too weak to survive on its own so I ensure I wake up at least twice at night to feed it,” she says. 

“Did you know that a baby squirrel whose eyes are still closed needs to be manually made to go to the bathroom?” Shanjana intervenes. “My mother has to rub its pink belly gently for that.” Leela explains, “I gently wipe the genital and anal parts with a cotton ball dipped in lukewarm water — this stimulates urine and motion, which if not done, can cause the baby’s death.”

The mother-daughter duo has more such tips and hacks up their sleeve that they enjoy sharing with anyone who comes knocking with a kitten they find or a puppy. “It’s important to educate children from a young age about caring for animals; they are after all a part and parcel of our environment,” says Leela, pointing to a cat curled up and napping against three-month-old Vamsika. “I would love to continue helping such creatures in need for as long as I can,” she smiles.