The Backwater Sanctuary is located on the backwaters of Kabini, on the border of Karnataka and Kerala.
With the support of the top Equine Vets and Experts around the world, Zoha Jung, our founder, dedicates her life to ensuring every rescue at the sanctuary is given the best care possible.
From carefully calculated natural feeds and supplements, socialisation and medical treatment, with access to the best equine medical facilities in the city, to ground work, body work and alternative methods of healing including Equine Craniosacral therapy, Accupuncture and Homeopathy - our philosophy, quite simply, is to ensure every animal that comes our way has a fighting chance.
With minimal human interference and plenty of space and time to heal, it’s our hope that our rescues will regain their freedom and happiness while we ensure their safety and security, always.
We are also the first and only Equine Sanctuary in India that has an in-house team of vets, engineers and experts from around the globe building prosthetic legs for horses. We currently have two amputees of our own, one successfully galloping on his own prosthesis, paving the path for many more.
Follow us on our social pages for regular updates on our amputees and how they are living a beautiful life on three and a half legs.
our team
ZOHA JUNG NAMBIAR
FOUNDER/OWNER
Actively involved in her family business of safari operations, Zoha has spent most of her life in the wilderness of India & Africa, surrounded by animals, both domestic and wild.
She dabbled in equitation at a young age and consequently developed a deep love for horses.
Driven by her passion for animals and all things equine, Zoha founded The Backwater Sanctuary early in 2018.
With her decades worth of experience around horses and knowledge on equines today, Zoha personally treats and rehabilitates every rescue at the Sanctuary.
A wildlifer and animal lover at heart, Zoha is also the founding trustee of The Buffer Conflict Resolution Trust of India (BCRTI), a non profit that focuses on wildlife conservation and conflict resolution in the buffer zones of South India.
ABHI ABHAY GOWDA
Our primary caretaker and manager of the sanctuary, Abhi is brilliant with the horses having worked closely with Zoha over the last five years.
Abhi started out as a pool boy at The Bison Resort. He is now the backbone of this sanctuary. He single handedly overlooks operations, treatments and logistics.
We call him Dr. Abhi at camp because he can run IV fluids in his sleep and treat wounds and trauma like he’s been doing this his whole life.
He is outstanding with horses, working freely without tack and ropes/halters. They trust him infinitely in return.
johnny nambiar
CFO
With a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Surrey, Johnny plays an active role in running his family business.
Though a corporate man by occupation, Johnny spends most of his time off at The Bison Resort, helping out at The Backwater Sanctuary and maintaining his backwater organic garden.
Johnny & Zoha together have personally funded the set up of the Sanctuary and it is his undying support and push that finally got the ball rolling in this gorgeous endeavour.
Without The Bison Resort there would be no Backwater Sanctuary. The Bison Resort has provided a foothold for the Sanctuary and allowed us the use of their land for all our grazing needs. It is with the added support of Saad Bin Jung (CEO), Ali Shaaz Jung (MD) & Sangeeta Jung (Overall Boss) that our animal rescue efforts thus far have been successful.