Residents of Potthakudi, a village in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, selflessly kept their streetlights off for 35 days to help an Indian robin peacefully lay and hatch her eggs.
Local streetlight operator Karuppu Raja, who spent the last decade routinely turning the village’s streetlights on at 6 p.m. daily, noticed the robin building her nest on an electrical switchboard that controls 35 nearby streetlights. Wanting to help the soon-to-be-mother, Raja spoke to local residents, sending photographs of the pregnant bird and her nest and encouraging people to support leaving the streetlights off until the eggs hatched.
“I wrote on WhatsApp that switching off the lights was the only solution because the bird will fly once it realizes there is a human touch or contact near its nest,” Raja told the Deccan Herald. “I also told the group that we should save the bird and [her] hatchlings at any cost.”
Students also joined the cause, campaigning door-to-door and on social media to get residents to agree to keep the lights off. Even after the eggs hatched, over 100 households agreed to leave the streetlights off until the mother bird and her hatchlings vacated their nesting site. Raja also gained the local government’s support.
“During the lockdown, I saw many people suffering on the streets without a place to stay,” a village council member told the ED Times. “I did not want to give the bird the same situation and agreed to cut the power line.”
Over the course of the nesting period, Raja routinely posted updates to social media about the bird family’s health. Thanks to locals’ cooperation and kindness, the mother and her babies nested safely in what could’ve been a dangerous location, reminding us of the potentially life-saving power of small sacrifices.

Fantastic.
It’s so nice to see communities still being to kind and thoughtful to wildlife.
Please stop all abuse of all animals
Wonderful!
Itis so encouraging to see how many people really care about the welfare of animals
Absolutely lovely and respectful .
This deeply moved me to tears. There are kind selfless people in that village.
Thank you so very very much from the UK Raja. What a wonderful human being you are. Sending love and best wishes from England.
What respect and love these wonderful people have for these birds <3
The world should take a lesson from this
WHAT AN AMAZING SHOW OF LOVE AND GENEROSITY THIS TOWN HAS DONE. GOD BLESS THEM ALL
Thank you for caring for the animals
If only all humans cared so much for their fellow creatures*
Thank you for caring for the animals
Merci pour ce que vous faites
It is nice to know that there still caring and kind hearted people out there 🐦❤👨👩
Very rarely to we get so many nice stories especially the one about then nesting robin. It is still very sad and disturbing to hear about the illegal dog meat trade in Indonesia. I really pray this horrible practice is put to and end very soon. There is no play in society for eating animals that are deemed as pets.
That is so wonderful to hear
Thank you
Agree.
How extremely sweet!
Disco lights of all things to save elephants. What will we think of next. Awesome. Makes everyone happy and safe.
Thts helpful n good
Such a great story and kind hearted people to do such a nice thing.
Wonderful to hear <3
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND HEARTS TO HELP THIS PRECIOUS BIRD!!!! THIS MELT MY HEART 🙂
Good idea! Street lights should be turned off everywhere.
What a great story! I love to see there is still good in the world. Thank you
Beautiful story….we need more like that!