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Showing posts from April, 2014

Snubbed by the Graceful "Mascots" - The Magnificient Tigers of Ranthambore

He turned around to look at us once, dismissed us with a disdainful glance, and walked away, leaving us bristling under the realization that we had just been brushed aside by a 20-month-old tiger "cub". I was numb, not because of fear, but because my childhood dream had just come true. I had seen a tiger in the wild. The moment is imprinted in my mind forever, and keeps on replaying time and again. Needless to say, tiger is the most elegant, most regal animal ever. The realization that we had come so near to losing these beautiful creatures forever sends shivers down my spine. Still endangered, the Royal Bengal Tiger continues to fight against all odds - the crisis is far from over. And the authorities are aware of this and are doing their best to reverse the damage. But it is an uphill task. Mr. Yogendra Kumar Sahu, the Conservator of Forest & Field Director, Ranthambore revealed that the greatest threat is of course from poachers. While the orders for tiger skins, cl

Bringing up a "Wild" Child

Bringing up a child who is born with an ingrained love for everything natural and wild can be gratifying as well as challenging. Your wild child will often cheer you up with several unexpected "awww" moments, but will also be prone to landing himself or herself, and you, in several tricky situations. My 7-year-old nephew Nishu often ends up doing exactly this. One of the biggest challenges you may have to face will most likely involve a "pet". You and your wild child may not have the same preferences. Like when one day, out of the blue, I received a call from Nishu. With his infectious enthusiasm he sang into the phone, "Masi, I found a new pet. His name is Dittu." I assumed that it was a dog and asked, "Wow, how big is it and which colour?" "It is very tiny, Masi, and it is completely white, except for its nose and tail, which are pink." I'd never heard of a dog with a pink tail. But before I could say anything, he added, "