Arif, the man from Amethi who gained notoriety for his friendship with a Sarus crane, is once again making headlines. Recently, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department took the crane into custody and released it into the Samaspur Bird Sanctuary in Raebareli. Arif had previously rescued the crane, which led to the development of a close bond between the two. The crane would follow Arif wherever he went. Earlier this month, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav met with Arif to personally witness the bond between the man and the bird. As the Sarus Crane is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh, the Forest Department ordered that it be relocated to a bird sanctuary. Despite being heartbroken, Arif assisted the Forest Officials in capturing the bird and releasing it into Samaspur.
