In a cozy home in Alappuzha filled with 23 cats, 15 dogs, pigeons, macaws, and conures, animals were never just pets to Dr. Rani Maria Thomas, they were family. “They were my siblings, my world,” she says. That lifelong bond set the stage for a career defined by compassion and courage.
But her journey to becoming one of India’s leading voices in exotic animal care began with heartbreak. “One time my macaw fell sick, and no one could guide me. I tried everything but he didn’t survive. That moment changed my life,” Dr. Rani recalls. The helplessness she felt became her greatest motivator, turning loss into purpose.
Though she had earned an MBBS rank, her father gently nudged her toward her true calling. “He saw the lack of vets for these creatures in India,” she says. So she pursued veterinary medicine with determination, diving into a field few others dared to explore. “I studied day and night, the only student borrowing books from the library on avian medicine,” she adds with a smile.
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Her devotion eventually took her to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, where she witnessed “world-class care for raptors” and dreamed of bringing those same standards home.
Today, that dream thrives at Sara’s Birds and Exotic Animal Hospital, a 2,000-square-foot space equipped with an ICU, endoscopy, X-ray, and grooming facilities. “Today, I treat macaws, cockatoos, hornbills, flamingoes, vultures, and other exotic species from across India,” she says proudly.
Even as opportunities abroad call, Dr. Rani’s heart remains in India. “My goal is to grow this field, train more vets, and provide world-class care here in India,” she explains.
“And I am on a mission to revolutionise exotic animal and bird care in India, inspiring more vets to specialize in it and learn from the unconditional love of every creature I treat,” the doctor concludes.
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