Hill View Farm Animal Refuge

The Hill View Farm Animal Refuge is run by a registered trust, India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN). Our work at the animal refuge is increasingly focusing on working equine welfare. In collaboration with Animal Rahat, we provide a peaceful retirement sanctuary for rescued working donkeys, ponies and horses. We are also working together with WVS India in promoting veterinary skills development in the field of basic equine practice.

We understand that rescuing animals to an animal shelter is not the best answer to many of the welfare problems that affect, for example, free-roaming dogs or working equines. Our mission is to provide good life for the animals we have – not to fill the land and enclosures with any number of animals that would fit in. We also want to use this opportunity to keep up the discussion on the best ways to humanely control free-roaming dog population and improve welfare of working animals.

Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO heritage site

Located at the foothills of the part of Western Ghats mountains known as the Nilgiris hills in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Hill View Farm is located within the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve buffer zone. We often see elephants passing by the gate in the early evening hours and wake up to the sound of peacocks at dawn. It is home to Nigel, Ilona, Emma, and Saara Otter, as well as to a very mixed group of rescued animals: donkeys, ponies, horses, dogs, cattle, buffaloes, cows, goats and sheep. And couple of cats.

Living in such a beautiful place is a privilege and we want to do our part in maintaining the health of the ecosystem. Production of vermicompost for organic farming, has been our way to concretely do so. We sell vermicompost for agricultural farms, for soil improvement and our journey with the vermicompost has also led our own kitchen garden project to expand from couple of basil plants back in the pre-pandemic times, to more serious efforts in producing more of our food ourselves.

India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN)

Established in 1997, India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN), a registered animal welfare charity, supports the Hill View Farm Animal Refuge. IPAN has a long history of providing veterinary care in the Nilgiris and surroundings, including sterilisation and rabies vaccination of free-roaming dogs.

IPAN is recognised by Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), and led by a board of trustees with Nigel Otter as the managing trustee. He has received several awards for his animal welfare work, including Social Justice Karmaveer Puraskar in 2009 and together with his wife Ilona, the Kulapathi Munshi award in 2013.

In 2006, Luke Gamble, the CEO and founder of Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), visited India to help with IPAN’s ABC camps in the Nilgiris. From this foundation by IPAN and its association with WVS, a new organisation, Worldwide Veterinary Service India, was born in 2010 with Nigel as its chairman and Ilona the WVS Director of International Veterinary Training.