New Friends

An earthworm struggled on the gravelly road near my children's school. Once upon a time, I couldn't put enough distance between us. But that day, I picked up a twig, let it curl around it and dropped it on the mud patch nearby. My children and I watched as it burrowed quickly in.

After the rains, yesterday, I had walk to reach somewhere. I had to put my foot into slush covered by water. Once upon a time, I would have been mortally scared of insects catching my foot and whittling it to bone in no time. But yesterday, I confidently put my foot in, worried only about the water dirtying my feet rather than of being 'footnapped' and killed.

My balcony, with its plants and compost, has become home to several kinds of insects. Rains bring out the earthworms from the pots, and I am glad to see my daughter diligently trying to put them back in the pots.

This rain, black leeches started crawling around. Rather than being disgusted, I was curious to read up about them. Apparently there are many varieties of leeches, and one of them feeds on larvae and other insects. Reassured that they had come for the larvae in the compost, and were not going to stealthily attack my family, I had them collected in the scoop and put out in the garden downstairs.

Oh, I used to place water in the balcony for the birds and was horrified when a raven started using that small bowl to soak its meat in. I stopped keeping water, also because it has been raining on and off for the last few months. I now fully appreciate the wisdom of our forefathers in keeping only food, and fell into that practice. A young raven is as demanding as my little one, cawing every morning by 6.45 for its breakfast. It got addicted to bread since that is the easiest to give at that hour, but am slowly weaning it away by giving rice, chapathi, dosa etc. when I can.

The raven, which had got so used to me that it would only move a few fingers away when I brought food, now stays put, making just a token move! For the past two days, it has been bringing a friend, girlfriend?, who is yet to get used to me and flies away if there is any movement in the attached kitchen.

Oh, and my neighbour's dog, with whom I barely kept eye contact, felt confident enough to rub itself against me yesterday.

Years ago, a cat laid kittens in a room I had to live in for a couple of days. We had an understanding. If she wanted to come in or go out, I would go to the door and she would slip in through the window. The rest of the day, she was confident enough about me to leave them under my care!

I can't say I was just as thrilled when a mouse built a nest in my balcony... It felt very bad to be destroying that home, but it had to be done.

All this makes me wonder how we have the heart to kill and destroy animal habitat. When will we learn the implications of our actions and give the animals the space they need, while making a home and hearth for ourselves?

  

A Night with the Reptiles

A relaxed evening by the beach

Stars on earth

 My children had been to the night camp at crocodile bank in Chennai through school on two different years. I didn't know adults could visit too. When a friend asked if we should, I said yes, not quite knowing what it involved. It involved many things, novelty, excitement, relaxation, amazement, fulfillment and introspection.

Can you guess what these lights are? Headlights reflected in the dark?

You are right. On the night walk, when we flashed the lights in the pen that held magar crocodiles, it was like looking at red stars on earth! Amazement personified!

I hoped to catch sight of some snakes roaming free in the camp during the night walk. That didn't happen. We entered a bat-infested cave-like enclosure reluctantly and was rewarded with the sight of a normally sleepy python emerging from a water body in her cage and rub against the metal cage. That is the process of molting - when the skin gets loosened by soaking and then the snake rubs against the hard surface so that the skin can peel. What a beautiful sight.

Getting into action

Oh, that's me, scrubbing the pond in the tortoise pen! Soon after we cleaned it, the biggest male pooed in the pond - as good as tell us to go to hell! That was a hilarious sight!

This brave young man works closely with crocodiles and is feeding the American alligator, which followed him around like a puppy. That was to make it get some exercises, since otherwise the crocs and their brethren do not get enough place to stretch their muscles.

The guide who took us around showing us his work and his creatures had me thinking. He was into many things before he drifted into the crocodile bank. And his choice of profession definitely did not make his family celebrate. Yet, he seemed content. His basic needs taken care of, and maybe a little more to keep his body and soul together, he had chosen a profession that I had not even known existed.

Another girl said she used to just take care of accounts and keep away from the animals. But the way she treated them and moved about, I envied her her fearlessness and confidence.

Awestruck seeing man and Ally the alligator

There was a volunteer who is a lawyer by profession but comes to work with the crocs whenever she can. She said, "I love animals," by way of explanation.

Mere love for animals cannot make one do this! It is something more, some passion, some deep care to take care of the ugliest and creepiest of the animal kingdom.

Most of the crocodile varieties here are facing extinction either due to hunting or their habitats being destroyed. I was reminded of a horrible video about the kind of torture snakes are subjected to for their skins. And I thought of these people, nurturing their wards like their own children, keeping them safe from the greatest of predators - man.