In the seaside town of Thumpoly, Kerala, mornings often begin with the sound of waves — and for one little girl, they also began with the flutter of wings.
Surrounded by parrots, pigeons, and lovebirds, Rani Maria Thomas grew up in a house that felt more like a small sanctuary. Her childhood wasn’t spent with dolls or gadgets, but with creatures that chirped, squeaked, and sometimes bit. “They weren’t pets,” she often says, “they were family.”
That same girl would one day grow into Dr. Rani Maria Thomas — Kerala’s very own Bird Doctor, a woman who dared to dream differently and built a new world of care for creatures most people overlook.
Love for Animals from Childhood
From the moment she could walk, Rani’s world was filled with feathers, fur, and fins. Her parents often joked that their home sounded more like a zoo than a household — parrots chattering in one corner, turtles lazing in another. But Rani didn’t just love watching them; she wanted to understand them. If a bird stopped eating, she’d worry. If a turtle moved slower than usual, she’d stay up figuring out why. That early bond — born out of curiosity and empathy — became the heartbeat of her future.
Following Her Heart
When she grew up, Rani did what most bright students in Kerala dream of — she qualified for MBBS. But when the moment of choice came, her heart whispered differently. Medicine for humans was noble, yes, but what about the countless animals who suffered silently? “Everyone wants to save people,” she thought, “but who will save them?”
So she took a path less taken — veterinary medicine. Friends called her crazy, relatives frowned, but Rani knew she was exactly where she needed to be. Her dream wasn’t to wear a white coat in a hospital; it was to wear one in a world filled with chirps, scales, and feathers.
Learning from the Experts
After earning her veterinary degree, Rani’s hunger for learning took her beyond borders — all the way to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, one of the most prestigious centers in the world for avian medicine. There, surrounded by regal falcons and master surgeons, she learned how to repair wings, handle anesthesia for tiny hearts, and perform surgeries that required both science and soul.
Those years were life-changing. She saw how seriously other countries took avian care — and she knew India needed that too. She returned home, not just as a vet, but as a woman on a mission.
Starting Something New
In 2021, her mission took flight. Rani opened Sara’s Birds & Exotic Animal Hospital in Kochi — the first of its kind in Kerala. It wasn’t just a clinic; it was a safe haven for the unusual, the delicate, and the misunderstood. The hospital welcomed everyone — from majestic macaws to nervous iguanas, from chatty cockatoos to shy chinchillas.
What started as a small space with one dream soon became a lifeline for bird lovers and exotic pet owners across South India. Every corner of the hospital reflects her philosophy — that every life, no matter how small or strange, deserves care.
Saving Rare Lives
Rani’s days are never predictable. One morning, she might be operating on a cockatoo with a broken wing; by afternoon, she could be treating a dehydrated iguana or a rabbit with a dental infection. Each case is a story of trust and transformation.
She remembers once treating a vibrant blue-and-gold macaw whose wing was badly fractured. Its owner had lost hope. But after weeks of care, the bird took flight again — and Rani calls that moment one of the happiest in her career. “When you see something that was once broken take flight again,” she says, “you realize why you chose this life.”
